


The Duke & The Witch || A Magical Trance || Complete

by iamnotanegg, kph2014



Series: The Duke [8]
Category: David Bowie (Musician), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-02
Updated: 2016-06-03
Packaged: 2018-07-11 21:14:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 26,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7070536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamnotanegg/pseuds/iamnotanegg, https://archiveofourown.org/users/kph2014/pseuds/kph2014





	1. Chapter 1

dukeoftheblackstar:  
Today’s rehearsal session was over rather early due to an unfortunate incident with one of the technical crew. Apparently, he had overdosed on sleeping pills prior to today’s appointment that he wouldn’t be able to set up the stage for band. Not that it couldn’t be fixed by the rest of the team in the rented studio, but the Duke didn’t feel like doing much for the day either; today seemed lax.  
After a ‘hearty’ meal of peppers and milk before leaving, David founds himself idly strolling along an unfamiliar platform. With the tour coming up, he must’ve missed his stop and ended up in a rather unfamiliar territory. Though a few heads did turn to wave, nudge him for an autograph and snagged pictures with and without his consent, nothing was quite ‘popping’; today seemed lax, indeed.  
Off the train, he stood with hands both tucked inside his pockets. “9 ¾? huh?” Chuckled the Duke. “What kid of a bloody station is this?”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Instead of simply apparating from Point A to Point B, Ivy had always preferred the Muggle method of public transportation- unless she was running late for work, of course. Her friend and fellow auror, Aradia, had been suckered into taking the train home from work this particular evening, but after spending half of the journey sticking her nose up at the Muggles surrounding them and making comments that caused the color to drain from Ivy’s face, the platinum blonde witch bid her friend good evening and had briefly stepped onto the platform before apparating away.  
Ivy rolled her eyes once her friend’s form disappeared. Bloody spoiled was what she was.  
Once at her stop, the only thought on Ivy’s mind was getting to her flat in time to order out before the Indian place down the street closed. That was until her ears caught the sound of a chuckle, and her eyes traced the sound to a familiar-looking man. It was obvious, however, that said man was a Muggle. And was too close to stumbling into a world not meant for him.  
The work day is never finished, the witch mused to herself. “Excuse me sir, but you look a bit lost. Can I direct you somewhere?” Back safely into the heart of Muggle London?, she thought.  
Lost indeed he was, in more ways than one can define.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
Lately things have gone as a routine that it was difficult to distinguish fantasy from reality. The fantasy that men and women would crave, commonly known as fame; and the reality that men and women dare to run from, commonly known as life. David adored life and from life itself he extracted art and motivation; the very colors of the wind as dear Pocahontas would sing and the ever flowing river of change that Mulan found herself weeping before.  
David turned and offered a gentle smile at the woman’s kindness. It was refreshing enough to find women, let alone people, not wanting to rip him of clothing or maul him with a pen and anything that ink would allow its palette.  
“Uh, yes.” Came a timid response. “I’m not quite sure where I am, I must’ve dropped off the wrong station. Although…” He turned and smiled idly at the two-door coach as it soon began to gradually pick speed and motion, adjusting his glasses. “I’m not quite sure where I want to go.”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
“That must be rather frustrating.” The witch mused, her eyebrows furrowed. “Especially in a city where you can practically go anywhere you like.” Anywhere but that platform. Non-threatening as he seemed, it was still one of her duties to make sure that particular wards between Muggle London and Wizarding London remained intact. And this man was dangerously close to one of the most important wards. I would really hate to wipe his memory. He seems nice enough.   
“I don’t exactly have a map of the city memorized, but I’d like to offer my assistance. You seem a bit…dazed. Are you alright, sir?”  
Sir seemed the most appropriate title, as introductions had not yet been made. “Sorry. I’m Ivy McKenna.” She nearly went on to mention her title as Auror, but fortunately caught herself in time, biting her lip just in case the words tumbled out. Awkwardly, she extended a small freckled hand. Why am I shit with introductions?

dukeoftheblackstar:  
“Davi—“  
Any given time he could, David did cocaine; be it on a bus, on a gig, during rehearsals at the back of the amplifiers, on a date, before – during – after sex, and on most occasions, just because he needed a fix. During this heavy time of addiction , he was very twitchy. He’d run his tongue along his lip, bite his lower lip, scratch his arm, neck twitches, fingers, everything. His addiction was neither a secret nor unseen by many.  
As he turned himself to extend a hand, the length of his shoe caught itself over his other leg. Thus, tipping the Thin White Duke off balance and with great fortune, onto the platform. He felt slightly burdened by the fact that there was a weird bolt of electricity run through him as he felt the cold, hard, pavement.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
“Goddamnit!” Ivy roared and stomped her feet, after the man disappeared through the platform. After taking a quick glance around to ensure the coast was clear, Ivy threw herself through the ward. Once on the other side, she found the man still on the ground, no doubt trying to recover from the ‘shock’ he’d just received.   
Nostrils flared in anger, she nonetheless knelt beside him, offering aid. She could still fix this. She thanked whatever deity was ruling the day that school wasn’t currently in session and that no students were on the platform. There were, however, enough wizarding commuters that it still made for a busy environment during rush hour. And enough eyes around that if she didn’t act soon, someone else would.  
“Sir, you’re unwell. Perhaps I could help you to a hospital.”

dukeoftheblackstar:  
He felt every bit of harshness the cold pavement had offered; he didn’t bleed nor punctured that hard head of his, but it was enough to make him a bit dizzy. His palm found solace in comforting the aching head and later beamed up his eyes and confirmed no blood seeped out.  
“I’m … O… Okay….”David’s eyes remained shut as his other hand began kneading his neck, “Thanks.”  
“My name’s David.” He uttered, shaking his head to clear himself of a possible concussion. “Sorry love, must’ve missed my footing.” David quickly yanked his spectacles and hauled them back onto his set. Carefully, he hauled himself back on foot.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Something about the man prevented Ivy from being angry with him. Besides, it wasn’t even him she should be angry with. It wasn’t his fault that he was a Muggle.   
But, neither could she now assume he was entirely nonmagical. The typical Muggle couldn’t see the sign for Platform 9 ¾, let alone fall through the barrier. Magic called to magic. But this was all beyond the red-haired witch, and time didn’t allow for her to consider it too much at the present. .  
“A pleasure, David.” Without thinking, she hesitantly reached a hand and placed it on his elbow, fearing he’d sway again. Her other hand reached up and adjusted his glasses, having made the observation that he seemed to fuss with them frequently. “But that was still quite the spill, and you still don’t look well. And, blimey, when was the last time you ate something?”

dukeoftheblackstar:  
He wasn’t called the Thin White Duke for nothing; he had a snow white tan and a body regally petite. He ate of course, anything he wanted but he had lived off on peppers and milk during scarcity of money. He travelled a lot, partied almost every night, did drugs of all sorts every night, drank every night, did gigs and mused to wherever money was thrown to the likes of an aspiring talent. Pretty much, he was a nocturnal junkie.  
He pressed his palm over the side of his head for support for he wasn’t quite sure whether he was either simply dizzy from the fall or hung over from cocaine and whiskey.  
“I’m quite full, thank you.”  
Dragged, he felt rather grateful for having company in foreign territory. “So where are we off to, love?”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Ivy removed her hand from David’s elbow, though still wary that he would take another spill. Perhaps it wasn’t food that his body was wanting most at the moment. She wasn’t certain, but it was possibly that he was withdrawing from something.  
She kept him close to the platform barrier, hoping that nothing would draw his attention further in. “I was just on my way home from work. Was considering stopping in for a quick drink. Would you care to join me?” In truth she hadn’t been, but at this point she wouldn’t reach home in time to order out for food, and her only consolation would be some fire whiskey. “It’s not far of a walk from here, if you think you can hack it.”

dukeoftheblackstar:  
Withdrawal had its downside; particularly, for an addict. It had been approximately four hours since he had left the studio and hadn’t had his fix. All his body needed was a nice place to crash, light a stick and maybe snort a gram.  
He ran his tongue across his lips and gained himself composure. The Duke was alright, but at a state where better sounds very promising at this point. From a distance, a very peculiar shop caught his eye; it was rustic and enchantingly alluring. It had a falcon and owl perched at the sign, a live one.  
“That.” He pointed at the owl who by stroke of fate, hooted and gazed with its magnificently round eyes. “I want it.”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Following his graze, Ivy mind began to race as she quickly tried to block his view of the shop. “You’re clearly not in any state to be making purchases on a whim like that.” She sounded like a parent, but she was grasping at whatever was left of that situation that was in her control. “David, I must insist that we go someplace else. You shouldn’t be in this part of town.” And I really, really don’t want to have to use a memory charm on you.   
Already passerbys were beginning to stare, and before long the wrong person would come by and take notice of the Muggle. To her dismay, two school-aged witches, possibly aged sixteen, strode up to Ivy and her ‘companion’, giggling madly.  
“Sir, could we trouble you for an autograph?” The blonde one asked, producing a piece of parchment with an inked quill, as her brunette friend continued giggling.  
The look Ivy gave David was nothing short of a confused one. 

dukeoftheblackstar:  
David, still bewildered by the white, barn owl perched above, absent – mindedly obliged; though he had graciously offered a generous smile, his gaze returned fixated on the owl that seemed to share a similar sentiment.  
David waved politely at the pair that then giggled and jittered as they walked off. Turning back to his now companion, he mused. “I’m not quite sure where I am, but I think I’ll have a look around. Is there a bank nearby?”  
He had little on but most of his finances are well kept in banks for the very reason that he intends to ensure his son, Duncan, a favorable future. He had played so many concerts, underground gigs, had sold an album and had toured within state to earn quite a hefty sum.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Ivy’s mouth remained slack as she watched the man oblige the girls and then as they walked off, still giggling and sparing glances back at him. Her mouth did’t close again until her tongue started becoming dry.  
And of course there was a bank nearby- Gringotts was just down the block, but she’d be damned if she was going to let a Muggle, no matter who he was, just stroll right in there. Her job was currently on the line, which she very much didn’t appreciate.  
“Listen, I really don’t mean to be rude, but you can’t be here. And who are you, exactly? Some sort of actor?” She was trying once again to turn his attention away from the owl.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
David’s relief became more of a delight as he abruptly embraced the woman with glee. He had lived in a world where people wanted to either get him in bed or mooch of from his earnings. David wasn’t a naïve young man that ends up easily swayed or would succumb to doing what he finds less comfort in – no, David was wise beyond his years and the world they live in. He was a wide reader who questions life and its glorious wonders; he studied and never wasted a moment of his life not knowing of the things that pose interest even if he did drugs or wasted himself drinking at parties.  
David held her by the shoulders with an intent stare, “I’m not a prophet or a stone aged man, just a mortal with potential of a superman. I’m living on.” He felt electrified and overwhelmed with a feeling he has longed for; the same feeling he had on the stage as Ziggy and the same feeling he has been craving for. The very loss that had caused him to fall into the dark hands of drug abuse and alcohol. But now, it felt as if at this very moment, life had begun.  
“Are you employed, darling?”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Her first instinct was to put distance between herself and David, who looked as if he were the sun who had just risen from behind a mountain of dark clouds. His embrace was tight, however, and she could only manage to give him a couple of light pats on the back. What the bloody hell was all this about?   
It wasn’t until he spoke that she was able to place him and that familiar face of his. He was a musician, one who had recently been making quite the commotion around London and the rest of the globe. But for the life of her, she couldn’t give him a name. “I’ve heard that before…” She whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder to steady herself after he had released her.  
“Um, well yes, I am. You could say that I work in law enforcement.” Well, it wasn’t a lie. She simply left out the fact of it being magical law enforcement. 

dukeoftheblackstar:  
“My, my, that doesn’t sound fun at all.” David pouted and godly chuckled, “Considered yourself hired as my personal PA. I’ll see to it that you are treated with outmost care.”  
He was up for an adventure and adventure he shall get. A man whose motivation lies on curiosity is one that cannot be stopped even if reality was altered; in fact, if it was, he would be quite pleased. David adored new things and being in an unfamiliar land which exudes magic was something he would rather be than in the limelight.  
Like the child that is within, he pulled the woman close against his side, mindful of where his hand touched; he was a gentleman after all, English at that.  
“Off to the bank we go, precious.”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
“But, wait, I don’t want-” But before she could continue, David had pulled her to his side and had began walking, coincidentally in the very direction of Gringotts. If anyone from the auror office caught sight of her now, she’d be facing heavy consequences. She only hoped that whatever this…charm her companion seemed to possess would keep them out of sight of the wrong people.   
“David, this bank isn’t like other banks.” She hissed between her teeth. She needed to get control of this situation quickly. The thought then came to her that maybe David wasn’t the one with the charm, but was rather the one currently enchanted. The wizarding world certainly had its own tricks, and perhaps enthralling its visitors was one of them. It certainly had been the first time a Muggle had stumbled into Diagon Alley. “And, I rather like my job.” She added as an after thought. To most, dark wizard catching sounded rather bleak, but most days she enjoyed it. And working alongside the famous Harry Potter had its perks as well. “Shouldn’t you already have a PA?”

dukeoftheblackstar:  
He thought about dear Corinne and how she must be worried sick of him; she was always looking out for him and made him wonder whether she liked him more than merely a talent. It made him a bit sad that Coco would have to spend hours trying to get in touch with his set of friends, who mind you, aren’t exactly the best people to ask for a missing David Bowie. Concerned, he mused to merely offer a heartfelt apology, a nice basket of goodies and maybe a tour around town.  
He carried neither his phone nor any mean to connect to home and it sounded quite swimmingly at this time. He wanted and adventure and someone forcing him to return to obligations and life will not bode well for a thrilled, inspired artist.  
“She’s probably worried sick, that sweetheart.” David smiled and left a mental note to really make it up to Coco when he returns.  
Taller than the woman by his side, he beamed and leaned his cheek closer to whisper as they headed towards an presumably, a bank. “No shit, Sherlock.” The Thin White Duke winked, sure to have a trick up his sleeve.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
The witch was at a complete loss. One moment, David had been like a lost puppy. The next, charisma-on-legs who was suddenly tucking her into his side a bit too familiarly than she would have allowed anyone else to be.  
“Okay, Hot Shot. Do you have any idea where you are right now?” She as still uncertain as to the man’s exact identity, aside from the fact that his name was David and who was a well-known musician, whose lyrics she thinks she may have heard at some point. “Because I can guarantee, your currency isn’t going to be accepted here.”


	2. Chapter 2

dukeoftheblackstar:  
“Mmm….. The bank?” David merely shrugged as they entered they facility. Unbeknownst to the woman by her side, David had his share of magic.He was a creative and persistent man, adaptive thus, earning the title, “The Chameleon.”  
The hall was that of an upper class bank; high decorative ceilings, spacious entourage, pillars of marble, pristine clean. But unlike the usual banks he had transactions with, the tellers sat behind towering podiums and very… goblin - like. Though it may appear rather a shock to most, David had accepted the fact that he had nightly visitations from unearthly creatures; goblins were one of them. He, at times, would toss and turn at night or space out dreaming of filthy, pot wielding critters running around the room. And quite timely, they look a lot like the teller!  
Approaching the staff of inhuman color, age and deformity, David cupped his chest as if searching for something after being asked for information that he clearly isn’t aware of. On his toes, he raised himself to meet the podium’s height, fingers grasping the frame for support. Very faintly, the Duke whispered onto the goblin; of which to his companion, the only audible words that could be made of was, “Labyrinth” and “Jareth”.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Ivy watched the man, in awe of his remarkable confidence. Her insistence kept being shrugged off, which irked her. It would have irked most Ravenclaws, but particularly this one.   
She was in for another shock once they entered Gringotts. Instead of freezing in fear, as she had expected him to do, David strode up to one of the podiums where a goblin was diligently working on his figures. She followed closely behind, eager to see how the goblin would react to the man. Something was clearly different about this man, and the witch finally resigned herself to the fact that the situation was out of her hands.   
Labyrinth. Jareth.   
More words that meant something, but what she couldn’t seem to recall. She suddenly had a vision of her aunt reading to her long ago from an old book. She could not make out the title, the vision being too blurry.  
“And what can we do for Miss McKenna today?” The goblin at the podium sneered down at her. The mist cleared from her eyes, and she shook her head, causing the goblin to grumble and return his attention to David. 

dukeoftheblackstar:  
“Not a very friendly one, ei?” David stepped back and hooked his partner’s hand over his arm and waited for the goblin to finish his computation. Oddly enough, the client was handed a parchment to which David dutifully signed. The goblin, though a tad unfriendly at his Ivy, lowered an acknowledging head to the Duke and called for assistance.  
Soon after, the two were escorted and were railed off in a small motive car; the goblin in front. The travel was rather lengthy but swift. They arrived before a cavernous door made of the finest oak with boulder almost shaped that of a man. Though the neither the Duke nor the goblin paid no mind, the goblin stood by the door and began tapping aimlessly against it as if looking for some sort of button or hinge.  
Though it was quite unlikely for a Gringotts goblin to find trouble in opening vaults for their valued clients, this was a special case; not as of great as the Boy who Survived, but more on a kingly level. The Duke stepped forward and spoke right onto the door’s surface, “Monte, the Emasculated.”  
He did his best not to chuckle or laugh and ended up biting his index finger as he gave Ivy a giggling wink. The goblin found no humor in this and merely nodded his head.  
The door slid open, briefly revealing a symbol at the center and later revealing a titanium built vault. Though no gold nor silver scattered, there was but a fallen mage’s hat on the floor, a cape hung beside a feathery cloak, leather-riding boots and crop on a glass frame and at the center of it all was a slim, stone table that held a quaint crystal orb.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Despite flinching slightly at the initial contact, Ivy allowed David to take her hand and let herself be led through the massive hall and back to the tunnels where the vaults were housed. The ride through the caverns always thrilled her, taking her back to her brief but exhilarating stent as a chaser for her house quidditch team.   
The ride was short, but still longer than she expected. The vaults were in order by family- older families vaults were further down in the caverns. Her own family’s vault was some distance down, and once they passed it, she was certain that there was more to David than she realized. “You must come from an old family, yes?”  
The tram stopped abruptly in front of a rather intimidating look door. After watching the goblin fumble for a bit, she was about to suggest that she use her wand to give him more light when David spoke the password. The doors slid open slowly, revealing the contents of the chamber beyond.  
“Who are you?” The red-haired witch turned to her companion incredulously.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
Jokingly, David picked up the woman’s hand and pecked the back of it, “I’m David. Nothing more.”  
David entered and escorted Ivy inside. The room had very old vines crawling on the wall with leaves healthier than a bowl of salad. For a room that was concealed from the world like most valuable vaults within the confinement of Gringotts, the leaves and vines twitched and moved accordingly as if the very nutrients of life itself seeped through them. From across the stone desk that held the orb was another wooden door that was intricately sealed by the aforementioned vines and two ghastly shaped knockers whose eyes and ears remained shut and sheathed by a very thick branch.  
The goblin cleared his throat, which abruptly stole the Duke’s attention. David picked up the orb and a sliver light danced within the glass orb. The Duke frowned but began toying with the crystal. It sloppily ran along his fingers and forearm as if it, too, had a life of its own. “It’ll take a while but that would do.”  
As if a form of trickery, a pair of thick gold coins popped from between the Duke’s fingers. He handed it to the goblin which shyly, yet somewhat greedily took and hid inside his pockets. “Shall we?” David mused, offering a hand. “We still need to get us a cute little bird.” 

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Baffled and blushing by the kiss that had been laid on her hand, Ivy barely had time to recover before the appearance of the vault itself made her breath catch in her throat. Sure, there were Celtic symbols that decorated the walls of the McKenna vault, but it was nothing like this. Whomever David was, he must be quite powerful. The thought made a chill run through her. I’ve been such a little fool.  
Her mind raced as she took in the contents of the room, and she watched David take possession of a glass orb. It looked like something that belonged in the Department of Mysteries, but she found herself unable to open her mouth to question it.  
It was only when David approached her again and offered his hand that she found her voice. “I’m afraid that’s not enough to satiate my curiosity. I need answers. For both myself and for my job.” It was still yet to be determined if he was a threat or not.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
“Oh you mean this little thing?” David hauled the orb to dance over his hands. “It’s a crystal, nothing more. But if you turn it this way, look into it. It will show you your dreams.” The man held mystery more than magicians of his time did; he was the epitome of fascination and wonder. An earthling, an alien, a cherished Star man who had fallen to the ground to seek and spread wonder unbeknownst to men.  
“Do you want it?”  
David held the orb within reach waiting for her response. It seems that the blank canvass that he was a few weeks ago had once more been lit hope. He now knows why he was brought to the platform, it wasn’t merely fate or coincidence; it was a calling. A calling to rekindle what was lost. And this was the opportune moment to start anew.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Ivy’s attention was drawn to the crystal, her eyes following it as it danced around in David’s hands. Her mind screamed at her in warning, the possibility of falling under and enchantment being probable. Briefly, she allowed herself to fall further into the crystal.  
Images flashed before her, of things that were, things that are, and even some things that would come. She saw her deceased mother, emerging from the Battle of Hogwarts unscathed. In the next flash, she saw herself being promoted for her attributions to the auror force. And further on, she saw herself sitting on a wooden swing, a man standing behind her- his face out of view.  
The witch stumbled backward, barely catching her footing before she fell completely to the ground. It was like she had just peered into the Mirror of Erised. “Those are dreams. Dreams that I’ve had recently.” Her eyes were huge as she searched David’s for answers.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
The Duke remained in silence; neither a smirk nor a frown traced the still lips. He toyed with orb once more; allowing it to dance past his wrist until it had completely vanished in an instant. David then conjured a pair of leather black gloves from his cuffs and donned them on.  
In that very moment he felt a little frustrated. He adored the unknown; welcomed and even encouraged it. He sought to find answers and for a man driven and motivated by life and dreams, he felt helpless for not being able to conclude an answer to a specific puzzle. A puzzle of which haunted him on a daily basis; images of a young girl running through an endless bricked corridor, debris falling. The list goes on; there were so many consistency and linkage of all the thoughts that run across his head that lead to nothing, as of yet.  
All he knew was that this belonged to him; this coy, enchanting orb belongs only to him. And he is reminded that the gloves had served him well to keep him sane; sane from the memories and darkest of fantasies people held.  
“Dinner sounds about right, don’t you think Miss Ivy?” He knelt and carried the woman in his arms. With the shock she’s in, he felt to blame should anything happen to her. The doors hummed shut as the goblin lead them out of the confinement. 

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Ivy’s grey eyes followed David’s movements as he toyed with the crystal, but remained on his hands after it disappeared. Even after he donned his gloves, her gaze remained frozen on where the crystal had once been. She wasn’t really seeing him. Her mind was continuing to work but her body felt like gelatin.   
She felt so unlike herself- she was always in control of her movements, of what she said, of how she reacted to the world around her. She couldn’t even retaliate when David picked her up into his arms. A tiny voice in the back of her mind told her not to, even if she could. So she allowed him to carry her and closed her eyes, the motion suddenly making her taste bile in her throat. She needed to pull herself together, but felt as thought she was preventing herself form doing so.  
“This was not how I pictured my night would go. All I wanted to do was go home, play with my cat and order Indian food.” She mumbled, as that was as loud as she could make her voice at the time, and braced herself once David set her down and the tram began to move.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
“That sounds like a bright idea.”  
As if nothing had transpired, David sat the woman onto the cart and later sat beside her. Though a scene such as these would bode a form of awkwardness, David felt compelled to ogle at the magnificent structure as his mismatched eyes wandered about. The goblin was overly preoccupied with what the Duke had bestowed him and dutifully strode the cart at a swifter pace.  
By the time they had reached the exit, David escorted the woman and kept her close to his side. It wouldn’t be decent to find such a sight after they had gone in privately intact. “I’d offer to carry you but I doubt your friends may find that appealing.”  
From a distance, the other tellers surrounding the block peeped through their spectacles as the goblin that assisted them gave a form of a sign unknown to the Duke himself.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
She was grateful that he was allowing her to walk instead of be carried. If anyone, in the bank our outside, who knew her had seen such a scene, it wouldn’t take any time at all for rumors to circulate. And maintaining her anonymity was important to her.   
“I’m much obliged.” She offered quietly, leaning into his side. She was still caught in a daze, stuck between reality and the dreams that the crystal had brought to the forefront. Nothing felt real in those moments, making Ivy wonder if this wasn’t all part of some larger dream. She gave the side of her face a swift slap, the sound alone being painful. But when she opened her eyes, she was still being led out of the bank by David, tucked into his side.  
“I suppose I can rule out that theory.” Ivy mumbled, allowing David to open the doors of the bank for her. She welcomed the burst of fresh, hoping it would help clear the fog surrounding her.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
David escorted Ivy past the busting streets of wherever they were; frankly, he didn’t care at all. It appears to be some sort of old English town where shops of antiques were a main commodity and preference; quite like a fine line between the uptown and the downtown abbeys.  
They soon ended up in a café of sort, right across the shop he had wanted to purchase the owl from. Though the bird no longer seems available, a hearty meal would serve them both right. “So!” Chirped the Duke, “What shall we have?”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Fortunately, they passed through a couple of street block of the Alley without incident and Ivy gradually began to get better control over her limbs. She remained at David’s side, thankful for the extra warmth he provided as she still felt slightly chilled from the experience in the vaults.  
She let him lead her into a cafe, coincidentally a cafe that she frequented. Lucretia, the lovely, unnaturally blonde server who typically waited on her happened to be on shift this particular evening, and greeted them with no only a warm smile but questioning eyes. “Evening, friends. Not often you bring company, Ivy. Your usual table just opened up.”  
Ivy returned Lucretia’s smile half-heartedly as her and David were led to the booth in the corner that Ivy usually occupied. “I’ll just have the usual Lucretia.” A fire whiskey would do her a world of good. “My companion here would probably like a menu.”

dukeoftheblackstar:  
David gazed through menu with brows impatiently knitted together. The names were rad and unheard of. “I understand class but this is beyond me.” As if he had unconsciously spoke out loud, he sunk behind the menu book and began reading through each item as money now was not a problem.  
Defeated, the Duke gently slammed the book between his palms and gave the woman a stern almost commanding look. He then turned to the young woman and her notepad jotting his partner’s order, “I’ll let the lady pick.” Charming, he knew he was, gave the woman a sly wink and smiled childishly.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
After removing her arms from inside her favorite violet peacoat, Ivy decided to let it sit on her shoulders, still feeling the slight chill that seemed to be lingering within her person. She watched David curiously as he glanced through the menu, and it was obvious that he was unimpressed with the choices. She scoffed to herself, while Lucretia waited patiently chewing on the end of her pen. Ivy ignored the questioning glances from their server- she had never been in her with any other person beside co-workers, and she was sure it looked questionable to the blonde woman. Please, please don’t let her mention anything to anyone.  
She jumped in her seat when David slammed his menu shut, still whirling from the change in his behavior from when she had met him on the platform. At his charms, Lucretia’s face turned the color of her lipstick and she quickly jotted down the second order. “Two bowls of beef stew with a side of bread and two fire whiskeys. I’ll put it in.” The blonde sauntered away, saying her hips conspicuously. Ivy rolled her eyes at the waitress’ retreating form. “I promise, the stew has never been bad here. But I wouldn’t know if you like it or not, because I know next to nothing about you.”

dukeoftheblackstar:  
“Fair enough.”  
As if troubled by the menu itself, David had gotten over the fact that the words began to dance and pictures moved at their own pace. He knew he wasn’t in London or anywhere close to the real world but what bothered him more was that, he felt home yet distant. He felt familiarity yet it wasn’t quite what he was yearning for.  
“You’re a witch, aren’t you?” Black magic, that was what it was, or so he thought. He knew about Pagans, about how witchcraft was a proverbial belief and how it had truly affected the way of love and evolution. Having read books and references of anything written on stone, parchment, tree or paper, he wanted in on the knowledge.  
“You must be.” It was a simple statement yet to the Duke, it made far much sense than believing it was the cocaine. After all, no one has undressed yet. He chuckled to himself.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
His question didn’t catch her off guard, as one would think it would. One deep sigh and cheek bite later, Ivy nodded her head, slowly raising her eyes up to meet his. “I am a witch.” Came the quiet admission, only loud enough for him to hear across the table. She wondered if he truly knew what that meant, as it could mean several things-depending on which world one resided in. But instead of risking making his brain explode with newfound information, she kept her explanation as brief as that. “And you are…not entirely human, I gather.” It wasn’t even certain if David was aware of this himself or not. The whole situation was rather, well, scattered.   
Lucretia returned with the fire whiskeys, which Ivy immediately brought to her lips and took a long swig of after nodding her thanks to the waitress. The blonde walked away from the booth, once again with a sway of her hips. “You’re still in London. Just not the typical London.”

dukeoftheblackstar:  
“I guess so.” David was in a state whether he neither questioned the turn of the stars or the fate of universe; he simply was in a trance of being in a lucrative situation that suited him well. A part of him burned to go and explore and perhaps get himself well situated in this new town, but a part of him was weary from having to wake up early for a cancelled rehearsal and a week – long tour in Glasgow. The Duke wanted to rest, needed actually.  
David felt a bit awkward having to smile politely at the woman as she swung her hips and walked off. Biting his lip as he gradually shifted his gaze to the woman before him, he leaned forward and pinched her cheek.  
“What say you we crash for the night and pick up things in the morning, yeah?”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
“Um…what?” She sputtered, her hands coming up to pinch the cheek David had pinched. Gods, had anyone ever pinched her cheeks before? They were on fire now, most likely as red as her hair.   
Lucretia returned with their order and Ivy asked for her to bag it up for them before downing the rest of her whiskey. She had no idea what the devil was going on, but her brain told her that she needed to finish what she started. It certainly wouldn’t be safe for David to be roaming the streets of Muggle London on his own, whatever he was.  
“My flat isn’t far. It sits just outside of…this part of London. Of course that’s if you weren’t feeling up to going home-wherever that is.” She wasn’t sure which option she wanted him to choose. If he choose to stay at her place, it meant she could keep a better eye on him. If he chose to go home, there was the likelihood that once outside of the boundary, he would never be able to find it again and return to wizarding London.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
If it was possible for mischief to be some sort of disease, clearly the Duke was at it now. For some reason, a burning sensation and urge to cause mischief and be as a playful bunny that he was in private is craving to rise. There’s an in depth comfort in his current whereabouts that makes him feel home is at every corner. It was hard to tell whether it was the crystal’s doing or his companion.  
She was quaint and for the Duke, somewhat naïve; then again, she knew more than he does in wherever they were yet, the inkling feeling of familiarity still was a question. “You’ve heard me love, it’s getting quite late.”  
He was tired; tired as rising rock icon can be and to be granted a timely week – long vacation off the press with his cocaine and drug addiction afloat, this was necessary. In fact, necessary for him on a personal level.  
“I’d love to head home but I’m itching to meet that cat of yours.” Winked the Duke as he conjured a bloodstone within his palm; a far larger fee to what was ordered. David then turned to Lucretia, took her hand in his and slipped the precious gem with a wink. “You’re a doll. Get yourself something nice for change.”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Lucretia was at an utter loss, but accepted the gemstone graciously. She had been no doubt expecting something else, as Ivy had known her to be kind but rather promiscuous.   
With a groan, Ivy stood from the booth and put her arms back into her coat, waving off the feeling of tiredness coming over her. There would be no sleep for her tonight- not if he as going to be staying with her. She didn’t time to think, to plan. And then it dawned on her.  
“I never told you anything about my cat.” The thought made her stomach drop.   
Lucretia, who had been standing by nervously watching David expectantly, suddenly left the booth with a small sigh. Ivy spared her one last, sympathetic glance. She understood the woman’s frustration- Lucretia was a squib and therefore possessed no magical abilities. Coming from a pureblooded family,s he no doubt felt overlooked most of the time.   
Ivy turned her thoughts away from Lucretia and back to David.


	3. Chapter 3

dukeoftheblackstar:  
David grabbed the packed meal and stood up. He gave a small wave at Lucretia and offered a bent arm to Ivy. “You know dear, jealousy is a dangerous game.”  
he Duke chuckled tauntingly – no, perhaps it was the King that did so. It puzzled him more than it puzzled those around him; in this case, Ivy. Though his antics may remain that of a gentleman, he was becoming playful by each second and is somewhat baffled whether it was a good thing or not.  
David adjusted the leather gloves firmly onto his fingers and gave the orb a swift twirl before once more, it had vanished into his sleeve. “After all, I’m heading out with you, not her.”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
“That is completely irrelevant.” The red-haired witch sputtered in frustration. Nonetheless, Ivy took David’s offered arm, absolutely certain that her face was now as red as her hair.   
At that moment, just when she had decided to maintain what little was left of her resolve and dignity, her stomach let out a very loud growl. That’s what you get for skipping breakfast and lunch, she mentally chided herself.   
“As soon as we get to my flat, I am eating dinner.” She informed him firmly, even raising her chin up slightly in determination. She would not be kept from her food any longer than necessary. “Thank the gods it’s only a few blocks. I’d hate to have to explain you to anyone. I don’t even think I could if I had to.”

dukeoftheblackstar:  
David nodded obediently and allowed the woman to escort her generous invitation. With the expected greetings and mauling for an autograph and pictures from their passing, he was getting more faint. His knees trembled lightly and he began to wobble easily being grabbed for a photo. It didn’t bother the Duke as much but he felt rather heavy.  
He knew what it was but he didn’t knew why.  
With a few turns and a few more steps, the two had arrived before the woman’s residence. Though David would have loved to comment and offer a complimentary dinner and gratuity in words, oh how badly he’d crave his thousand dollar bed at home.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Ivy felt the man sag at her side, and isntinctively used herself to support him. He seemed to have returned to a similar exhaustive state she found him in on the platform, and was thankful that they made it to her flat without his spilling to the ground again. “Only three steps up, come on then.” She encouraged, helping him up the stairs. Instead of fumbling with her keys like she typically did, she resigned to using her one-handed method and withdrew her wand from it’s place in her sleeve.  
“Alohamora.”  
The spell unlocked the front door and she led David inside, kicking it closed behind them. She decided it best to get him upstairs before he became completely overcome with exhaustion, she helped him up the stairs, putting his arm around her shoulders. Thank Merlin he’s a light man. Once upstairs she led him into her room before depositing him onto her bed, which she had failed to make that morning. “You look like you need it more than I do.” She commented quietly, trying not to notice how much he contrasted with her lilac Egyptian cotton sheets.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
David lay still on the bed briefly before pressing his forearm against his nose. Crimson warmth stained the pristine sleeve as blood seeped past his attempt of a barrier down his cheek and neck. Muffled giggle followed as David sat and leaned against the headboard. “You’re a doll, really.” Weakly he whispered as he blew a kiss  
The man gave a shy chuckle and with the last bit of strength he has, he summoned the orb to dance along his gloved hands. “It is in your care for the evening. Do as you wish.” After a turn or two, the Duke threw the orb towards his companion and laid to rest.  
Tomorrow will be a far interesting day to start.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
And just like that, the man was dead to the world. It was as if all the strength had left him, and Ivy felt her heart sink slightly as she saw him sink further into the sheets. Moments later, she heard the pitter-patter of little feet, and her cat joined her on the side of the bed.  
“Go fetch my satchel for me, Marlowe.” The cat, excited at the prospect of being productive, dashed off downstairs and returned moments later with a small, emerald green satchel. From it, Ivy removed several items that she always took with her on cases, all of which constituted as a medic bag.   
She came to sit at David’s side, noting how his breathing became slow in sleep. She took a cloth and used her wand to saturate it with water, before ringing it out over the floor. She dapped his nose lightly, afraid of waking him, and held it there for several moments until the bleeding stopped. Marlowe silently watched from the end of the bed.  
Next she took out a flask of dittany. She had no idea if David had any injuries- from what she could tell, there were no external ones but she couldn’t say for sure internally. With her fingertips she lightly dabbed his lips with a few drops of the oil before putting it away. She pulled the comforter up over him before making her own bed out of the chair next to the window, where her cat took his place in her lap. The packaged dinner had been completely forgotten.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
The Duke tossed and turned briefly before waking a few hours after slumber kissed him goodnight. The dreams have become vivid and intense that he found himself staring blankly at the ceiling, gasping for air. Despite such turbulence, the Duke remained quiet.  
Very carefully, he rose from the cot and hauled the blanket onto the sleeping figure. Vivid as his dreams were, he knew he possessed something no mere human has. It wasn’t some sort of mischief or magic tricks at a local fair – no, it was something innate. He wanted answers; needed them, to be accurate.  
He slid off the bed and with a flick of his wrist, he summoned another orb. He then threw it mid – air and landed gently on the ground as a float mirror of sort. He gazed into his reflection and found an uneven cut atop his head. From the slick fiery bronze, well – combed hair was a shy, barely noticeable volume and streaks of a lighter shade of blonde. Lately, this occurrence had been frequent that he had dyed his hair twice a week if needed. His mismatched eyes had become more robust as his dilated pupil had acquired a well – blended hue.  
David dared not to wake the sleeping Ivy. Rushing to what appears to be the kitchen; he whipped something rather delectable for the generous host. After all, whatever it was in the bag, it would’ve been spoiled by now.  
The kitchenette was then filled with a delectable scent of cinnamon. Cinnamon pancakes to be exact.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Ivy had fallen into too deep of a sleep to dream. Lately, she had been working late at the Auror Office, having only averaged perhaps 4-5 hours of sleep per night the last week. The deep sleep was as much needed as it was appreciated. But all too soon, her stomach woke her up, groaning loud enough to cause Marlowe to jump down from his lady’s lap.  
Moments later Ivy awake as a welcoming scent filled her room. She rubbed her eyes, not awake enough yet to question the source of the scent until memories from the night before came flooding back. Her eyes darted to her empty bed, and she she was up from her chair instantly, ignoring the cries of her painful joints.   
Trying not to trip over Marlowe, she flew downstairs to her small kitchen, still dressed in yesterday’s clothes. She didn’t need a mirror to know that her hair was now twice the size that it usually was, sticking out in every direction. “Um, are you sure you should be cooking? You looked like death only a few hours ago.” Was her first comment to David when she entered the kitchen. Marlowe lunged and took perch on her shoulder, eyeing their guest across the kitchen curiously.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
“Look who’s talking.” David’s brow rose intricately high as he served the second plate onto the counter. The Duke adored cooking just as much as he adored being served. Not only did he keep himself busy reading books of great importance and wonder, he spent ample time reading the Times, recipe books, and his all time favorite, dear old Mr. Webster.  
Though his diet consistently was of peppers and milk, David adored the nicer things in life once his career picked up. He had solely depended on his diet, which kept him agile. In fact, he had developed a liking towards peppers in general.  
The Duke picked up both plates and nestled them in a tray along with two cups of coffee; his cup had cinnamon and milk. Walking past the counters, he placed the tray at the center of the dining table and pulled a chair for the honored host, “Madam,” He mused with a decent smile.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Well, this was certainly a first. She had taken meals with men before, both for dates and for business. But never once had her chair been pulled out for her. “T-thank you.” Ivy stuttered, surprised by the gesture. Why was she surprised? He hadn’t proven himself to be anything less than a gentleman, but she supposed there was a part of her that was telling her not to hold her breath.  
He had done up her coffee perfectly- by adding absolutely nothing. Especially after a night of little sleep, Ivy needed the bold bitterness to put some life in her. She had practically bene living on only this for the last week. “But really, you didn’t need to do all of this.” She was unaccustomed to people doing things like this. When was the last time you ever had anyone over, let alone a man? She told her subconscious to shut the fuck up. Marlowe let down from her shoulder to once again resume his position on her lap.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
The Thin White Duke adored animals just as much as he adored drugs. To him, they were precious gods and goddesses locked inside tiny vessels to serve a reminder that we, as humans, are capable of limitless possibilities. And that it would be quite unjust to stroke random strangers for their adorable features.  
Marlowe made him think of the real world; his apartment, Coco, Lou, Iggy, the band, the tour, and his cat; an orange tabby named Fat Ziggy.  
He pushed the chair neatly as Ivy sat down and moved to seat himself across her. “Well, I bet you have questions-“ Came a hanging of a greeting of sort. It was neither a question or a confirmation, but more of an invitation to clear out any awkwardness that may rouse.  
The Duke began to eat.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
That was an understatement. Despite how hungry she was, Ivy was slow with her food, contemplating the cinnamon pancakes as much as she was contemplating the questions that she had. “How about I cut you a deal?” She offered, before indulging in her first bite. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she let out a quiet moan in approval. “Dear shit, these are good!”  
After another long swig of coffee the witch continued. “You answer my questions and I’ll answer yours. At this point, I think wiping your memory would only prove problematic.”   
As his housemate seemed to ease in the stranger’s presence, Marlowe let Ivy’s lap to pursue his curious nature and came to sit by David’s seat.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
“Sounds about right,” David cheered gleefully at the compliment. The man had more magic in his hands than he had in the crystal orb that he kept. A man of great creativity not only can paint life still and moving through canvasses but lull the dead to wake with music and eccentricity. A charm in the kitchen and very well so, in the bedroom. David chuckled at the thought.  
“And the cat.” The man then turned to her feline companion and began kneading and patting the furry animal as he savored the scent and energizing taste of caffeine in such a fine morning.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
“Oh!” The witch exclaimed suddenly, before jumping up from her chair and sprinting off upstairs. When she returned to the kitchen, she had in her hand her green satchel, which she was removing David’s orb from. “You left this in my possession for the night.”  
She set it down on the dark wooden table and gave it a gentle shove so it would roll to him. “What is that, exactly? You said it was a crystal. I’ve only ever seen crystal balls like that in my aunt’s shop, but none with such clarity as yours.Is it very old?” Her apprehension towards David had given way to curiosity, which was her natural state. Some of her walls and no doubt come crashing down once she had taken a bite of his cooking, which she resumed her breakfast once she settled back down into her seat.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
David focused solely on his caffeinated beverage as he continued to toy his fingers against the furry, frail bodice of the smaller figure, Marlowe. Mismatched eyes followed the orb that rolled towards him as if upon command.  
The Duke began cupping the corner of his lip with his tongue as the orb then hopped onto his forearm and began dancing along his free hand and fingers. “I suppose you can say it’s old.” He really didn’t know much about the origin of the crystal but somehow he felt he knew. As of present, all he could simply answer was that he might have had an accident in the past or the excessive use of cocaine might have wiped a memory close to being in a circus of sort to possess the ability to juggle. Either ways, the thought of being wiped of his memory by the alleged witch would be of waste. Pity, he thought.  
“Apparently, this little doll enables you to see your deepest, darkest secret and ….” The man began swaying his head left and right with a smile as the crystal began to do the same; move to and fro. “Do as I please.”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Grey eyes followed David’s movements with the crystal. It was a mesmerizing object to Ivy. It appeared to be just a simple, ordinary, albeit large crystal ball. But having grownup in both the human world and wizarding world, Ivy knew all to well that appearances were deceiving.  
David was proving to her just how true that old adage was. He had appeared to her originally as just a mere mortal. And now, well, she still couldn’t put a finger on what or who he truly was. But normal? Certainly not.  
“Those people on the street, who cam up and asked you for autographs and photos. You’re obviously well-known.” He had to be, for two young witches to have approached him in Diagon Alley as they did. “I’m afraid I don’t recognize you. Not that that’s much of a shocker. I hardly do anything outside of work these days.” She watched him over theorem of her mug as she brought it to her lips.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
“Oh. Well, I sing, you see.” Came his modest and simple response as his eyes met hers at an instant. He wasn’t expecting to be world renown within the few years he had started but he had made an entrance that many had referred to as first in the history of man.  
The orb had stopped right at the tip of his index finger and with the unexpected question, he accidentally flung the orb into the nearby wall and it shattered into pieces. Though the Duke didn’t seem startled at the sound or the image of glass shattering on the floor, he appeared almost uninterested at the orb’s fate.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Ivy jumped in her seat and a small pale hand flew to her mouth as she cried out softly. Was this him reacting to her not recognizing him? If it was, it was quite the tantrum for a grown man to throw. Her eyes lingered on the wall where the orb had shattered, before they traveled back to David.  
“Well, I certainly hope it wasn’t worth very much. Do you often have outbursts like that, or only when someone isn’t groveling for an autograph?” The witch spat, once again getting up out of her seat.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
He gave him a slight smug look at her claim of him throwing a tantrum, which she was.  
With a whisk of his hand, the crystals began to shake and move towards each shard to form miniscule crystals. “Oh they’re quite precious, really.” David mused in slight annoyance. “In fact, they’re so precious, I might have you let a ball.”  
David smirked at the poorly delivered pun as he sent three minute crystal balls flying at her. At contact, they busted a cloud of smoke and at an instant, changed the woman’s attire into a lovely Victorian dress accentuated by a black ruffle that matched his darker attire. “Quite precious, don’t you think?”  
He could feel mischief seep from within, merely inching into an overflowing, evident mask. Not that he disliked it, he found it rather refreshing and quite – like him.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Another scream erupted from her as three tiny crystals came at her. She never felt their impact, and was alarmed at the site of herself when she lowered her arms form her face. “What?” She spun round several times, not entirely sure that the gown she was seeing was real. “How do you know how to do that?”  
Ivy huffed. Even on her best day, she couldn’t perform vanity magic like this. She couldn’t even use a spell that was supposed to settle her hair down- for whatever reason, that sort of magic never worked for her.  
She was fuming when she looked back at David. “I’m not some sort of porcelain doll you can just dress however you like. And this is entirely impractical!”

dukeoftheblackstar:  
David roared in laughter, irritation now merely a thought. She was simply adorable in his eyes; so naïve, so cute and quite a face to boot. Slender digits ran through the fiery blonde crown and nested by his nape, “Believe you me darling, there are far better impractical dresses I could muster.”  
He was fighting the urge to be utterly mischievous and thankfully, the Duke had won. With a smile and a sincere wave, David added, “You look lovely, Ivy. I’d be honored if you would tour me in that fine dress I’ve gifted.”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
“Oh no no no no no.” Ivy repeated over and over again as she hiked up the skirts into her hands, suddenly becoming aware that she wore nothing underneath. Her cheeks reddened.  
“You’re going to stay right here, and I’m going to go upstairs and change into something practical! Something normal, and from this century!” She began stomping through the kitchen and made her way to the hall before turning back to him.   
“I have no idea what you are, but please bear in mind that at any given moment, I could hurl you through a window with the flick of my wrist. Your parlor tricks have nothing on me, Hot Shot.”

dukeoftheblackstar:  
The Duke inclined his head gazed tauntingly at her feline companion. Grinning triumphantly, he winked and mused, “Get your aces up cat, she thinks I’m hot.” Followed by a celebration of laughter, he took hold of his cup and enjoyed his morning beverage.  
“Flick of a wrist, huh?” Uttered the Duke as the cup reunited with the matching saucer. “That’s an interesting move.” And as said, he mimicked her charm and began flicking his wrist in an odd fashion that allowed crystal balls after crystall balls slide out his sleeve, past his palm and drop silently into the ground, vanishing into mists. 

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
She had begun turning her back to him when the sight of the crystals sliding out of his sleeve caught her eye. Ivy had no idea how he was doing this, and she had to begrudgingly admit to herself that this was beyond the scope of any party magician.  
Crossing her arms and temporarily forgetting her current attire, she watched as one crystal after another fell out of his sleeve and then vanished as it hit the ground. Eventually she was able to pull her stare away, and with a huff, she exited the kitchen and made her way upstairs to her bedroom.  
After several minutes of unsuccessfully trying to get out of the gown, she finally managed to do so and returned to the kitchen in her normal clothing. She sat back down at the table and kept her eyes on her plate that was still full of food. “So what am I supposed to make of you? Because really, the only conclusions I’m arriving at is that you know what you are, but at the same time you don’t. What’s that all about?” She shoved a fork full of food into her mouth, watching David as she chewed slowly.


	4. Chapter 4

dukeoftheblackstar:  
David had always known what he wanted, craved and yearned; he wanted to incorporate art and theatrics into music as to provide a more different approach to achieve a name among the stars of the human world and that he has. Records, awards, gigs, paparazzi and even movies came into his grasp all thanks to sheer determination and the excessive need to become nothing less than great.  
What he is or is not is something that the Duke had never bothered to find out; he was a star, a musician, an artist, a friend to some, a fantasy to most, a father, a son, a fellow breathing life form with a slight kick.  
The Duke remained silent and merely smiled as he took another sip. “I’ve no idea, really.” Came his simple response that masked a slight curve of disappointment etched upon his lip as she had changed her wardrobe. “You would’ve looked so fetching in that, darling.”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
There came a pang of frustration, yet again. Ivy was not privy to the thoughts that were flitting through David’s mind at the moment, but Merlin did she wish she could be. She could perform a legilimens charm on the man, exposing his innermost thoughts to her. Maybe then she could be able to solve the riddle that was sitting across the table from her.  
But that was dangerous- especially with not knowing exactly who and what he was. Her appetite was now gone, so she sat sipping at her coffee, watching him over the rim of her mug. “The gown is beautiful,” she offered, “but for a girl like me, it just isn’t sensible. How am I supposed to catch dark wizards when I’m wearing a gown that prohibits me from running?” She cocked her head to the side, feeling pleased as if she had won an argument.  
At that moment, a rapping came at the kitchen window behind David. It was an owl bringing the morning edition of The Daily Prophet. Her mug in hand she left the table and opened the window, taking the paper from the owl. She gave it one of the owl treats that she kept nearby just for them, and it flew on its way.  
In the next moment, she mug crashed to the dark wooden floor, breaking the handle. Ivy ignored it, too focused on the article at the bottom of the front page, the headline reading “Rookie Auror Ropes in Rocker”. The photo below was of her and David, walking through Diagon Alley yesterday evening with his arm around her shoulders. “No idea what you are, huh?” Ivy spat, shoving the newspaper towards David. “Let me rephrase my earlier question. What do you do for a living, David?” She didn’t want to read the article. She wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
“Wizards?” For a brief moment, David had an revelation; where he was clearly was a bit of old London but it wasn’t merely just old London. As if in an instant, things have become much clearer to the Duke; he was in a world of magic. Not your typical ‘pull out a bunny from the hat’ magic, but the sort that will either make or break you.  
Pleased as the thought may enlighten him more of his power of conjuring unidentified crystal balls that turn to his every whim and demand, the Duke had decided that him staying would prove to be more informative for the both of them.  
David’s mismatched eyes followed the courier and later dropped onto the moving image of him and Ivy. He smiled in silence at the look of how adorable the woman was even from a candid shot. “I did say I sing, didn’t I?” Came a meager response as he grinned childishly.  
He isn’t a rock star, at the moment that is; he was merely the Duke that sang deep, melancholic, hollow songs who acted like a real heartless prick because of the character he intends to portray. He was a heartbreaker; classy, cold, smooth and ruthless.  
“Rookie… Auror?”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Well, he was right. He had told her that he sang, along with some other whimsical and fantastical descriptions of what he was and did. So, he’s an artist. An artist who, in some form or another, can perform magic. Magic that goes beyond just having the ability to pull a rabbit out of a hat.   
“I’ve only been with the Auror Force for about a year. I’m only 23, after all. Considering how difficult it is to land the job, I’d say I’m not too bad at it.” One thing that she was bad at was assuming that everyone unknown to her or who created a challenge or riddle for her was a threat. That was the only part about David that was rubbing her the wrong way. Because, Merlin know, he was quite easy on the eyes.  
She sat back down in her seat with a thud, groaning. “I honestly had no idea who you were. I still don’t, really. But you’re obviously well-known enough to have landed us on the front page. I myself prefer to avoid the spotlight.” She used a spell of heat up her mug of coffee that was beginning to grow cold.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
“With that pretty face of yours, you should be on a wall or something.” His tone was flat but sincere; as if stating the obvious. David rose to his seat and grasped one of the crystals that he had been toying with the entire conversation. “In fact,” he paused and threw the crystal onto the ground. It then transformed itself into a wooden easel and an empty canvas. Beside it was a palette with an assortment of colors and brushes.  
“Indulge me, will you, love?” Music was where his heart sung rhythms of emotions and worlds unbeknownst to men but art is where home is. Art is where his mind was poisoned with creativity, knowledge and life. And what better to muse inspiration from than which time decides?  
He took a brush and sat on the table, feet on the very chair he sat on. He turned to his side and leaned a breath away from Ivy’s face, taking a good look at her. “You’ve lovely lips, you do.”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Wandless magic. Just like that. He made it seem so effortless. She wondered where he had learned it, because it must have taken years of practice. She had opened her mouth to pose the question when he hopped up onto her table and set very close to her- closer than she typically allowed anyone to be to her.  
Her question and breath caught in her throat at the mention of her lips. Unconsciously, she began to nibble on her bottom lip, a nervous habit of hers. As this was certainly not a typical situation for her. “W-what am I indulging? What are you going to paint?”

dukeoftheblackstar:  
“A gem.” He responded mirthfully as he turned back before the canvass and began stroking the brushes against the colorful assortment of paint. “Consider this as a thank you gift.” The canvass was small in size and it took him very little time to finish a lovely portrait for Ivy.  
Proud and pleased of the outcome, he signed his initials on the bottom right of the painting and scooted to present Ivy his gift. “I have to say, I’m not sure what to do while you’d be away. You do have work, right?” He thought about visiting a local library or even go through shops they have passed by yesterday but did not want to impose on Ivy’s schedule. “Perhaps you could bring me with you?”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Within a matter of mere minutes, David had put brush to canvas and had created Ivy’s likeness. She wasn’t certain which to liken it to- creepiness or endearment. More so because she was certain she had worn a similar dress to the Yule Ball one year. Not that David would have any way of knowing this.  
“Holy shit, dude.” She mouthed, gaping at her portrait. The riddle that was David kept expanding and creating more confusion for her. He had captured the wildness of her hair and confidence of her grey eyes perfectly. All that was missing from the image was the freckles that dotted her nose. She also fancied that she was much paler that this doppelgänger. And of course, David was going to leave out the dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep.  
“This is…wow.” Ivy couldn’t remember when someone had last done something like this for her before. And suddenly she became very self-conscious. What else, beyond her physique, was David observing about her? The thought put her on edge. “Thank you.”  
She stood from her chair, if only to put some distance between them. “Oh, you’re most definitely coming with me to work on Monday. We’re going to grab my boss, and then we’re heading straight to the Department of Mysteries. With any luck, we’ll have you all figured out by lunch time.” She smiled, triumphantly. This was plane- he could either accept it or not.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
David smiled sheepishly as the woman complimented his work. By now, he was wiping his fingers clean with a cloth he had conjured from within his left sleeve. He felt a bit uneasy at the statement given as he wasn’t used to compliments as much. He painted for reasons he wanted to do; an overcoming feeling of expression and beauty needed to be still on paper. In this case, on a canvass.  
“Ministry of Magic?” Asked the Duke as he picked the portrait off the easel, which then vanished into air. He gazed at it and began tipping the canvass from side to side as if inspecting his own work. “What is it that you really do, Ivy?”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Ivy sighed, still not entirely sure if she should reveal much of herself to the man. Although, he had just painted a rather striking portrait of her. She supposed she did owe him something in return. In return for all you’ve done for him? She pushed those thoughts away. Those could only make the situation go awry.  
“It’s basically magical law enforcement,” she began her explanation, picking up her mug to take a few more sips, “I’m on a team that protects against dark forces. Like how police officers are to muggles. Except, we’re not shooting innocent people.” She snorted as she took another drink. She was proud of her office. They were good about knowing who was on what side. “That’s what I really do.” 

dukeoftheblackstar:  
“Muggles?” David shot him a puzzled look as he set the portrait onto the table. Clearing out his plate and his morning beverage, he took out a box of cigarette from his pocket. “Do you mind?”  
With a lighter in his hand, he sat back down across the woman. For a moment he thought about the idea of being a cop in the wizarding world and the dangers in entailed. He wondered if there are those of greater power that aren’t only able to summon wander balls of crystal and set clothing and muster items at will, but something of greater power. So how powerful is the woman before her?

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
“Oh, erm, go ahead.” Smoking was never a habit she had picked up. Her aunt had never touched the stuff. Ivy remembered taking a puff off a friend’s cigarette in school, and was immediately taken to the hospital wing because she couldn’t breathe. That had resulted in detention.  
“Mugs are the wizarding term for people who aren’t magical. Truthfully, I thought you were a Muggle when we stumbled into each other on the platform yesterday evening. I can see now that I was wrong. Very wrong.”

dukeoftheblackstar:  
“You and me both.” David was very mindful whenever he smoked; he always kept a good distance between him and others regardless if they smoked or not. As he lit the stick and welcomed it with a kiss and a puff opposite Ivy’s direction, he chuckled.  
“Say, how can you tell someone’s a muggle or not just by looking at them?” Ivy looked as normal as a normal woman would; her eyes were not of an oddity like his and her hair was as lush as most women’s. She wore fashion applicable to him, unlike him who seem to have a walk – in set bigger than four – five women combined. She spoke English and had no deformity or any distinct physical feature that would cast her as a non – muggle person.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Ivy gave David a nod in appreciation. One of her peeves was when she would sit in a pub and someone next to her would blow smoke in her face. Such an awful smell.  
The witch bit her lip in thought. “You know, I’m not entirely sure.” She began, rubbing the bridge of her freckled nose. “Well, in your case, I think it was your lack of regard for the way you were walking towards that specific platform. We’re taught to be very careful and protective of portals like that, where the boundary between magical and nonmagical are thin. You didn’t seem to be paying much attention, which made me assume you didn’t realize the portal was there, and therefore were muggle.”  
“Although, I suppose that to some, the differences can be seen with the naked eye. I haven’t completely developed that ability yet myself.”

dukeoftheblackstar:  
“I knew there was something odd about that platform. I travel a lot and you don’t see many platforms named as such.” Blowing a rather thicker huff of smoke yet again on the opposite direction, shortly fanning it with his hand, the Duke gave a satisfied ‘hmm’. That said, it now had cleared the thought of how he ended up being teleported into where he was now at an instant.  
“So you can’t really say someone’s a muggle unless they use magic or act…. frilly?” Frilly would be quite a word to use but enough to get his point across.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
“Well, that, and muggles aren’t supposed to be able to see the sign for that particular platform.” Ivy explained further, getting up for pour herself another cup of coffee.  
“Some of us will choose to dress in the traditional wizard and witch garb- you know, the robes and hats. Sort of gives them a Dickens’ vibe. But many of us dress no different from muggles.” Ivy gestured at her own clothing, still in the same clothes had worn yesterday, which consisted of a casual blouse tucked into a black skirt- her work wear. “Not exactly frilly, though, is it?”

dukeoftheblackstar:  
He thought about how mere muggles would not easily see the aforementioned portal and the hows and whys he was able to do so. What is an attraction of sort? Possibly. And as he was about to throw another question at Ivy, he remembered the vault in which the crystal came from. Prior to being handed a pair of leather gloves, he recalled seeing a set of fine clothing hung against the wall. There was a feather pelt – like coat, an assortment of tights, boots, poet’s shirt and a glittery masquerade – ish suit, that if considered, looks quite whimsical. There was a mask and a trink-  
David, as if suddenly commanded to do so, ran his index and thumb along his neck down to his chest. And as he did so, he felt weight over his chest and warmth along the skin of his neck. Cupping what had formed into a bulk in his chest was a trinket. In panic, he yanked the item off his neck and dropped it on the floor with a loud clank.  
The Duke gasped and was taken a back, rattling the contents of the breakfast table. He smacked his hand quickly back onto his chest, unbuttoned his shirt and cupped the skin as if he had just been burned. “What the?!”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
In an instant, Ivy had withdrawn her wand from her sleeve, using it to levitate the trinket off the ground. It could be cursed, and she’d rather not touch it, especially having witnessed David’s reaction to it.  
“How did you…” She began, but didn’t finish. The look on his face made it obvious that he was just as confused as she was. Using magic she set the trinket down on the table between them, and gazed down over it. “The designs. They look Celtic.” She ascertained. It looked old- very old. The cord attached to it showed age as well.  
Hesitantly, she reached a small hand down to touch the cool metal. In the next instant, she was flat on her back several feet into the kitchen. The necklace had used magic-magic- to send her flying backwards. “Wow.” Was her breathless comment as she stared at the table where the trinket still lay.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
David inched to leave the tableside as to not touch the trinket that lay still on the table. Rushing to her aid, she knelt and tucked his hand underneath her back sitting her up. “Are you alright?” Came his worried tone. As he was about to aid her to stand on her feet, he felt the heat rise from his chest. He then tucked his free hand and cupped his chest once more and found nothing; no mark, no scar, nor any remnants of possible damage.  
“I think we need an exorcist.” Though jokes may not be suitable at their current predicament, he clearly meant it partially true.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
“Jesus, maybe I should be asking you that instead.” She hopped to her feet quickly and placed a cold hand against his chest. Nothing, she felt nothing that could be causing him discomfort.”Maybe…you should put the necklace back on?”  
It wasn’t the safest idea, as the origins and nature of the trinket were unknown. But David was in luck. He was in the presence of someone trained in how to deal with the Dark Arts. And sometimes, that meant using them. She gestured to the necklace, knowing she was unable to touch it. “It could be worth a try.”


	5. Chapter 5

dukeoftheblackstar:  
David was highly reluctant but knowing Ivy knew more magic than him, he felt a bit at ease giving the idea a shot. After all, it didn’t really hurt him, did it? He mused himself the strength to approach the idea and successfully convinced that this may encourage more answers to the mystery that he was.  
He gave her a final stare before kneeling hovering right by the table. As he gazed into the trinket, he could feel a sense of familiarity about it; what, specifically, he does not know. With hesitation, he placed his palm above the trinket which then shook lightly. Quickly yanking his hand back waiting for a response, he attempted to take hold of the pendant very slowly and cautiously.  
The pendant was hot against his skin but it delivered no pain. “Do you know what this is?” He bit his lip a bit worried that it may have an after – effect spell or curse that may either amputate him or any of horrendous sort of being impaled. 

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Ivy kept her wand ready, just in case the trinket needed to be quickly removed from David- or in the event that she needed to protect herself. She watched every move David made, her grey eyes never leaving the necklace. “The markings on the surface look Celtic. Maybe they’re protection sigils?” She offered.  
The necklace seemed to respond much better to David than it did to her. She wasn’t certain if he could hear, but it made a low hum whenever David was close to it. As if it were calling out to him. “It must belong to you.”

dukeoftheblackstar:  
There was fear in him despite how he had always welcomed the unknown like a friend. He was cautious and baffled at how the said item calls for him as if it truly do belong to him. He knew his parents and ancestors well and most of them were either schizophrenic or rebels hoping to change the world. The thought made him cringle lightly; his brother had died after jumping off the building claiming the voices had told him.  
And though occasionally, he does hear things that others claim they don’t, he often wondered if he was either sick in the head or his family had a secret that was kept at bay.  
“I don’t remember ordering a cursed necklace for Christmas, love.” Humor would be a grand escape from the shock. But even so, David couldn’t help but fathom why it reacted as such. “Are you sure this isn’t one of your tricks to get back at me for being rather nasty yesterday?”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
The witch could see the internal struggle happening within David. She couldn’t blame him. It never hurt to be cautious, especially when enchanted objects were concerned.  
An unfeminine snort escaped her lips at his joke. “It’s an attractive piece. Although not exactly my cup of tea. Too big, too flashy.” Her eyes narrowed slightly at his accusation, though she wasn’t completely surprised by it. “If I had wanted to get back at you, I would have used my hands.” Her grin was malicious. 

dukeoftheblackstar:  
“Ha. Ha. Ha.” Pouted the duke as he stuck his tongue out childishly for a second. “Oh you mean those teeny, weeny hands of yours?” Mused David as he rose to his feet, the necklace in hand. “Listen shorty, if you’re planning on cast some love charm on me, all you’d have to do is ask.”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
“Ha!” Ivy spat, tightening her grip on her wand. Glad as she was that the trinket was still responding well to David, her attention was now torn between its mystery and the friendly banter he had begun. “I may have small hands, but they manage just fine,” she smirked, crossing her arms, wand still in hand, “and I hate to disappoint you, but love magic isn’t my forte. My specialty is in defensive and battle magic.”

dukeoftheblackstar:  
”Says the lady that barely could walk after our visit to Gringer’s Bank?” Laughed the Duke. He was awfully bad at names but then there were days when he’d do it on purpose. He used to get a kick out of it with his brother.  
Turning back to the pendant, he coiled the lace around the trinket itself and tucked it inside his pocket. “I’ll postpone wearing it for now until I know what it is. Otherwise, you might end up using that wand of yours on me and I’d hate for that to happen. I think we should get some air.”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
“Gringotts.” Ivy corrected, glaring. Nevermind her near fainting spell at the bank that had put them on the front page of the paper.  
She shrugged when David put the necklace in his pocket, refusing to wear it. ”Suit yourself. Probably for the best anyway. I only wanted to see how far it would toss you.” She stuck her tongue out at him briefly before making her way out of the kitchen to the front door.  
“And trust me,” she came back into the doorway, sliding on her purple peacoat, “if I had wanted to use my wand on you, I could have done that by now as well.” As if for effect, she held up her wand arm and slid the wand back in its place in her sleeve, giving David a wink as she once again exited the kitchen.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
“You know dearest, should you walk out that door unattended, you might end up really having to use that wand.” David grinned and conjured another crystal that fogged from within, revealing an image of young women seemingly outraged yielding copies of the same paper they have spoken of earlier today. After a quick peek, the crystal slid down his sleeve and vanished.  
Fingers ran through his hair as he followed the woman, “Besides, aren’t we getting us pet?”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
“You have got to be shitting me.” Ivy outraged. She prided herself on being able to move through the streets unnoticed. And now, thanks to David, that was wrecked to Hell. “Witches or muggles, if they come near me with anything less a neutral look on their face, they’re getting stupified.”  
She leaned against her front door and groaned loudly. “Help the poor helpless muggle, Ivy. Oh, he’s no muggle, he’s some confused wizard. Nope, change of plot again- he’s some rock ‘n roll star who just happens to be magical. How about next time you want to do something out of character, you take up ice fishing instead!” She muttered her monologue, the volume growing increasingly louder and louder until she let out another loud groan. 

dukeoftheblackstar:  
“Splendid, let’s go!” Apparently to the Duke, where there is fish, there is cat; and David adored animals, most particularly, one that signifies great power, intelligence, a cunning persona and a temperament of a child. Rushing from within the house, he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled him into an embrace; an embrace of which both arms were bound by his should there be any attempt of struggle. “Now before you say no, think of poor Marlowe and his never ending sorry of not being able to father such wonderful lovelies.”  
He stated his response in such a “matter of fact” tone and did his best to sound as convincing as possible. “You know, in average cat’s life, they’re bound to wander if they find their master’s role as a provider… insufficient.”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
She had little time to react after he had grabbed her wrist and then pulled her into an embrace. An unnecessary one, but she would let him have his moment and only struggled against him slightly. At least he smelled nice.   
“Joke’s on you- Marlowe’s fixed.” She grinned against his chest, before looking up at him, crinkling her nose. “I wasn’t just going to let him continuing spraying around the house.” David could buy all the female cats he wanted, but Marlowe wouldn’t pay them any mind- unless they pissed him off. “However, I have lately been considering getting my own owl…”

dukeoftheblackstar:  
Marlowe had proved to be quite a charming fellow since their first meeting; then again, who wouldn’t should one be bribed with food? An additional cat may not bode to well with Marlowe being castrated (?) and a box full of kittens may be a handful in the future. Owls on the other hand hold a very dear spot in David’s heart. They are intelligent, nocturnal and very efficient couriers. On top of that, owlets are extremely cute and fluffy.  
“It has to be a barn owl. Preferably, a female.” Why, he couldn’t understand. There was a sudden feeling of competition at the thought of a male owl reside within the same confinement as he; an odd feeling indeed.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
“Particular much?” Ivy teased. An owl would certainly be nice to have, and would do away with her having to walk to the owlry in order to post anything if she had missed the morning owl. As someone who had always associated most with goddesses of wisdom throughout her studies, Ivy was quite fond of owls.   
David still hadn’t released her from his embrace, and it seemed to go unnoticed by him. She surprised herself in that she had ceased her struggling and simply stood there and, dare she say, she was enjoying it. “Based on the fangirls in that crystal, I may not even make it to the pet shop alive.” She mused.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
David nodded in agreement but visibly frowned at the thought that boggled his mind; for someone who has strikingly alluring features, David couldn’t help but wonder if there was a career that included modeling in the wizarding world. In the process, the very idea of her declining a fabulous ensemble could very well be the reason as to what she was referred to as a “rookie auror” by the morning paper. Then again, he could be wrong.  
Biting his lip in a thought, he mused,“What do you propose we do?” The Duke was worried for her safety more than his public image. Rumors had spread of his decline in marriage with Angie; lately they have had very little time spent together and most, if not all, were spent with them in an argument. Perhaps the people wouldn’t mind as a good percentage of his fans despised Angela.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
The witch’s lip pursed in thought. She could easily fend off attacks from rabid fangirls, but did she necessarily want to leave herself wide open to them? “I’ll put my hood up.” she suggested, pulling the hood of her coat up over her head. She could easily retreat into it and out of sight of prying eyes, with how deep it was.   
“I could glamour myself so that I could go unnoticed, but that tends to only work around muggles.” She had meant her comment about not making it to the shops alive as a joke, and it concerned her that David was taking her safety seriously. Were other women who he kept around him often attacked by obsessed fans?

dukeoftheblackstar:  
“Or we could simply just take a detour.” The thought of strolling around town with a hooded figure by his side proved more suspicious than a tag along dressed if not as glamorous, quite so, as him in his Ziggy Stardust days. Moreover, news may break that he and Angela might be plotting to rekindle a flamboyant approach in his career.  
She was still in his arms and somewhat delighted that no complain came from both parties. Inching a bit distantly, he cupped her chin and looked assuringly into her eyes. “I’m sure there’s a backdoor we could take, there’s always a backdoor.”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
After being momentarily caught up in his gaze, Ivy had an idea. “We could apparate. I mean, it’s not my preferred method of getting around. It seems a bit lazy. But with how many times I’ve been to the petshop, I think I could get us there in one piece.”  
David had seen the outside of the shop yesterday, therefore apparating them both to the store front wasn’t all that dangerous, and decreased their risk of being caught in a crowd. A small whisper in the back of her mind told her to consider the idea that maybe he was embarrassed to have made the newspaper with her, and would just as well not be seen with her. She gulped back the idea. “Can you visualize the front of the shop as you saw it yesterday?”

dukeoftheblackstar:  
“Apparate? Is that like flying?” David disliked the thought and had hoped whatever that meant, it included land travel or over a body of water; anything but the skies. He gave her an uneasy stare; it may be too early to assume, but no dapper Duke would board anything that soared.  
“Visualize? I doubt that’d be wise, doll.” And sure it would not as the very things that danced, pranced, and dressed inside his mind was beyond an ordinary man’s imagination. At times, he too, feared the capacity of the human brain, let alone his. “There are things in here,” he tapped his left temple and clenched his teeth wearily as he spoke, “that I wouldn’t like to visit at this time.”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Ivy shook her head, giving David a reassuring smile. Doll, that was a new one she had never been called before. “It’s not flying and it’s not going by land. It’s very much akin to teleporting.” She explained, placing her hands against his chest to make sure she had his full attention.  
“I believe you when you say that your mind is a scary place. I, too, learned that when you stare long enough into the void, it tends to stare back into you.” She locked eyes with him. “But visualization is key to apparating correctly. If you can’t visualize the store front, I can’t get us there without one of us possibly losing a limb or two.” For emphasis, she gripped his shirt. Apparating was serious business. If you didn’t know what you were doing, you could end up losing your head.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
Reassured, David’s paranoia gradually subsided visibly as he offered a grateful smile. “I suppose I should learn this now if I intend to stay.” He argued to himself audibly, “This may come in handy.”  
Settled, David locked his fingers together and firmly held onto the woman in his grasp. In an attempt to focus on what the shop looked like, to the best of his memory, he recalled the owl and the sign it perched onto. He recalled the glass that had a small crack on the bottom right by the door and it’s inside, from their view at the time, was of cabinets and cages.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
As soon as she was satisfied that he was visualizing what he needed to be, Ivy let go of his shirt, and wrapped her arms around his thin frame and closed her eyes. In her own mind she saw the shop, and on an inhale she sent them there, clothing ahold of David the entire time so as not to lose him in transit.  
Once everything around them ceased whirling, she opened her eyes. Her face was planted directly in David’s chest and she had nowhere to move- he had a death hold on her. “You may feel a bit nauseous after your first time.” Her voice was muffled against his chest. By the sounds around them, she knew she had successfully sent them to their destination. And since neither one of them were screaming in pain, she assumed they were both in one piece. 

dukeoftheblackstar:  
And there it was; the dreaded rise within his stomach crawling up towards his throat. The man shuddered and ran into the narrow alleyway right by the shop’s wall and conditioned himself to proper. That’s a first, he thought to himself and out came paranoia in a form of liquid. Luckily there was an open sewage hole that conveniently was situated near the nauseated Duke.  
It took him a minute or so before he regained his balance. Pushing himself off the wall, he wiped his mouth and almost as if second nature, he conjured a smaller ball of crystal and popped it into his mouth. A drip of water oozed past his lips after swallowing the aforementioned item.  
Panting, David smiled weakly. “Next time, we run.”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Grimacing, she fellowed David to the alley as he emptied his stomach of its contents. Not an atypical response for first-timers, but she nonetheless felt pity for him. “If it makes you feel any better,” she began quietly, “the first time I ever tried it, I didn’t just get sick, but had to have my right pinky re-attached.” She held up her right hand and wiggled the finger in question. Sure enough there was a faint scar where the finger met the rest of her hand.   
She waited for him to get his bearings, which he did rather quickly, and returned his weak smile. “Right, then. Let’s get you your owl.” She lead him gently into the shop, eyeing their surroundings to make sure they weren’t being watched. “David, where do you plan on keeping your owl?”

dukeoftheblackstar:  
David shuddered at the thought and ran his tongue along his nearly chapping lips; a habit of his. Fidgeting through his vest pockets, checking if he had dropped or tore a flesh off, he then huffed in relief and allowed to be escorted into the shop. “Perched on a tree perhaps, or the fridge.”  
David knew what he wanted; a magnificent, graceful, barn owlet. Fond of animals, he’d rather raise them to his liking than get a trained adult bird that may bode a handful care.


	6. Chapter 6

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
It wasn’t exactly the answer she was looking for, but she nodded anyway. She had asked because she was curious as to how long David planned on staying with her. Famous people like him, she had read anyway, often stayed in hotels or on friends couches, never really calling any one place in the world home. If she had been asked to house him at this time yesterday, she would have adamantly refused. But now? Well, obviously, she wasn’t adamantly refusing.  
Matters must have been complicated further with him having a son, and a wife that he refused to talk about. Ivy didn’t want dragged into the middle of it- she found herself in the middle of crossfire too often to willingly go dancing in front of something that could be avoided.  
But did any of this really matter at that precise moment? No, because eventually, David would get tired of her, and either move onto someone else’s couch or go back home to his wife. And for now, she was going to ignore the wrenching feeling that thought had caused in her gut.  
“In the fridge? I think you’ll find that to be most unsuitable, despite it being empty most of the time.” Ivy mused quietly as they entered the shop. Perhaps she could find herself an owl too.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
“About that..” David’s thought had returned to his original plan; to find settlement and perhaps a more suitable housing for the both of them. He feared she’d decline the offer seeing as moving in with someone she just met, famous or not, isn’t something most people would willingly do; and is something he would not normally suggest.  
He struggled to find the right words to say due to the fact that there was a spark of sadness deep in her eyes. Whatever it was, he felt a tingling sensation that it was primarily his fault. Has he exhausted her too much with his fatigue state and sobriety like he did with Angie? Was he becoming a burden with his ins and outs? He felt the same way with Coco and often would apologize for being a real handful and yet, she stayed with him during his ups and downs. And he knew the trouble Coco had with him; hoping it was not the case with Ivy.  
“I thought about buying a property of sort..” Waiting for her response, he walked in a gradually slow manner checking cages and critters caged, live and asleep; eyes fixated on her.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Her melancholic mood lifted slightly when she locked eyes with a grey Great Horned Owl halfway through the shop. “Oh, you are magnificent.” She murmured to the bird, and much to her pleasure the owl leaned into her touch when she brought he hand to stroke its back. It was such a large bird, larger even than Marlowe. Its yellow, intense eyes made for a rather intimidating gaze. She adored it.  
She returned her attention to David, whom she realized had been looking at her, awaiting a response. “There flats around me are fairly reasonable, if you were just looking to rent.” She suggested, with a small but sad smile. “But, I’m not kicking you to the curb just yet, if that’s what you think.” She added, earnestly.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
David glared at the bird that towered before the couple as it was perched a tad higher than their ground. Not that he didn’t find the bird a fancy, but something in him had a slight disliking towards the bigger feathered animal.  
Heading towards her companion, he stood right by her side and dismissed his thoughts. “Do you want it?” He asked in a casual tone, a fixated glare on the bird that quite like did the same; a hint of bitterness in his voice.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
The glare didn’t go unnoticed by Ivy, and she even mused that the owl was glaring right back at David, challenging him. Well, that wouldn’t do. “Now, boys.” She interceded, smirking, pulling David by the collar towards another row of birds.  
“This excursion is about you, not me. You were very adamant that you were going to get yourself a bird today. I can always come back another day for him.” Ivy reminded him, winking. Letting go of his collar, she stood on her toes and leaned next to his ear. “Being jealous of a bird is a bit silly, don’t you think?” She asked in a low whisper.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
“That, my dear woman, is not a fine looking bird.” As a proud bird himself, he kept his chin up and allowed to be escorted away from the feathery abomination. Was he jealous that should the bird be purchased, Ivy would give less attention to him? Was it really jealousy or a sign of dominance to what belongs to him? Whatever it was, the bird stays in the shop.  
The two walked further into the shop and saw all sorts of creatures; rodents, reptiles, but much were birds of flight. Farther into the hallway was a model of a branched tree with cages and birdhouses dangling from its branches. There were different owls and birds perched on each branch.  
David absentmindedly slid his hand around Ivy’s waist and dragged her towards the temple. At the bark of the tree was a hole with straws hanging out. Inside was a fairly small owlet of the whitest snow; the bird of his liking, a barn owlet.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
“He is a very fine looking bird! I could always come back when you’re not with me and purchase him.” The redhead smirked to herself, while allowing him to lead her by the waist to another series of owls.   
Oh, this was fun. David clearly felt challenged by the bird, and she was having more fun than should be allowed with it. “A girl could always use some extra protection around the house. And that big boy could certainly do the trick.” She chuckled.  
Following David’s line of sight, she saw that his attention had been captured by a young barn owl that was white as the pure driven snow. “Now you is quite lovely, too.” The witch crooned at the bird.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
“Oh really? The only protection that fine feathery friend of yours can offer is to hoot itself to death.” David’s mismatched eyes rolled back in annoyance. How can a pesky bird affect him too much to nit the urge for a tantrum fit. For heaven’s sake, he’ll be thirty in a few months and a tantrum wouldn’t look good for a thirty – year old; rock star or not.  
“Have you see those silly little things on its head. Ridiculous.” Mocked the Duke as he mimicked the gesture with hand tucked behind his head. “Classless, I tell you.” Should Ivy had listened intently, she would’ve heard a soft hmmp as he inched his face towards the hole, mindful of the other birds that seem to turn their heads to the approaching man.  
“Quite lovely, she tells you.” David held his fingers to serve a bridge to shy owlet that inclined it’s head to the side. “You, my darling, are beyond beauty in words and splendor in sight.”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
“David. You’re mocking a bird. You’re mocking a bird, while trying to hide the fact that you’re damn close to throwing a tantrum.” Ivy stared at him for a few brief moments before doubling over in laughter. It was the most absurd, yet adorable, thing she had witnessed in a very long time. “You’re so jealous of a freaking bird.” She howled, earning the attention of every animal in their vicinity. Thank Merlin they were the only people in the shop.  
“And he calls me classless.” She scoffed to the owl which held David’s preference. “Maybe I should be jealous of this little lady. Maybe I’ll throw a tantrum right here.” Her laughter continued. She playfully huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. 

dukeoftheblackstar:  
Oh piffle, he was. He was a very bad liar and though his theatrics was a different thing, he couldn’t tell a lie even if it would save his life. He’d either laugh mid – sentence, stutter and make the story an obvious fallacy.  
Cooing at the bird that inched towards his finger, David beamed mockingly at Ivy. He was happy that she was; grinning, laughing, and simply being an easy person at the time. In contrast to the stressful nights prior and their first meeting. “Yes, you are, my angel.”  
By now the owlet had perched onto his finger and began twisting her head with a wandering eye to its surroundings as if it was her first attempt to leave her tiny residence. “Maybe you should.” David’s eye rolled to the corner to address her closed proximity as his nose lovingly rubbed against the tiny owlet’s feathery body, “Because I might just lock you up in a cage, instead of this precious angel.”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
The owlet had certainly taken a liking to David quickly. Perhaps it was another aspect of his magic. Which meant there was a possibility of David having the potential to be an animagus. That was a particular form of magic that Ivy had never mastered. Her mother had been adept at it, but that trait didn’t seem to be passed on. The most Ivy could do was give herself cat ears and whiskers, but she wasn’t about to broadcast that. She felt her face reddening at the thought.  
Or perhaps she was reddening due to David’s comment about locking her in a cage. “Once again, I may be short but I’m fast. I don’t think you’d like me very much after locking me in a cage. And I certain wouldn’t like you very much.” Ivy grunted, the side of her mouth forming a smirk.  
“She’s exquisite, but why this particular owl? Did you know ahead of time that this is what you wanted?”

dukeoftheblackstar:  
He gave nothing more than a smug grin as a response. The man’s head was a dangerous place, even for himself. He was a man of art, music, fashion, mischief and all things good, bad, great and nasty. Not that he would like to threaten the smaller figure, he clearly was as he is; a man of many things, great and bad.  
“Can you not hear it?” David’s tone was that of a man bewildered by her inability to hear the owlet’s plea. He had imagined that since they were in the wizarding world, it was a normal thing to hear what animals thought, said or even interpret what they mean. It was very easy to understand what the owlet wanted; freedom and care. She was both frightened and sad; sad to have been left alone with but herself to cater to, sad to have been fed a strict diet of small mice and insects, frightened at the big world that lay before her flightless bodice. She was a fairly young baby.  
The owl screeched in its petite volume as it walked onto the Duke’s arm, perching itself on his shoulder.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
“Hear what?” The sounds of the pet shop? She really hadn’t noticed it as any more than background noise. Merlin, don’t tell me this guy is hearing voices now. She really didn’t want to spend her day trying to drag someone to St. Mungo’s.   
But then something happened. Remarkable, she decided it was. Not entirely unlike everything else she had witnessed about David in the last eighteen hours or so. To Ivy, it seemed as if an understanding seemed to pass between the man and owlet- something she certainly wasn’t privy to, and could only stand by and watch.  
To the witch, it was now a matter of the owlet having chose David- not the other way around. It had walked happily to David, taking its perch on his shoulder. Ivy could only watch in wonder. It had taken some time for Marlowe to warm up to Ivy, and even more time for him to decide to become her magical familiar. In now time at all, this owlet had chosen David.  
The gifts that David possessed were mind blowing. It was incredible when a witch or wizard displayed even one of these gifts. But to have so many? To be able to effectively bond with animals like this; to be able to perform wandless magic; to have charisma, be charming, and above all confident in these abilities despite only just discovering them for himself?  
Not so unlike some great wizards before him. Terrible, they were. But great, indeed. This thought, Ivy immediately pushed to the very back of her mind.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
David lovingly rubbed his face against the feathery baby, as he sees it fit, mirthfully screeching on his shoulder; not the most pleasant of owl sounds, the barn owlet’s screeching seem to be rather pleasant for the Duke’s ears. He’d chuckle and pucker his lips in a kissing manner and the owlet would respond by kneading its tiny head against his face. Owls have a very special spot in his heart; to him, they were creatures of great wisdom and freedom. They exude grace, class, and intelligence.  
“Yes you will angel, yes you will.” Cooed the Duke as he gestured for the man behind the counter to approach and tend to his order. Waiting, David turned to Ivy in surprise, giggling proudly. “Didn’t you hear her say “Daddy” just now?” And to his ears, she did; screeching in her miniscule volume.  
The shop owner approached the couple and presented the cage it would come with and the price for the overall package. A fair trade for such an exquisite bird. David thought.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Ivy stood there blinking. “No. I didn’t.” She deadpanned.  
Is this jealousy? Her brain poked at her, as it so often did.  
Of course this isn’t jealousy. But in fact it was. And it wasn’t just over the fact that David was crooning over the owlet. A lovely little thing it was, Ivy had to admit. If her attention hadn’t been drawn to the great horned owl first, then this little one would have stolen it in an instant.  
The jealousy factored in because of the David’s sudden bond with the owl. But that can’t be right, she argued back, I have Marlowe.  
But how long was it before Marlowe came to you like that? Before he’d let you pick him up, play with him? Before he’d curl up next to you in bed?  
You’re being absurd, she told herself resolutely before shutting her brain up. She hoped her internal dialogue hadn’t made any impression on her face. The last thing she needed was to be teased over something as petty as envy.  
She watched as David paid for the owl and her accessories. “Has she said what her name is?” Ivy asked, her voice sounding slightly strained.


	7. Chapter 7

dukeoftheblackstar:  
David watched her loose herself into her whimsical world as she did every now and then. For the time they had been together, David had observed that she would grow silent in mid – everything. Often, he wondered if, like him, she’d battle between the voices in her head or patch words and ideas together from everywhere like he would in songs during his Ziggy Stardust era. Whichever it was, she looked simply adorable and obvious.  
The owlet had not been given a name for names between animals meant nothing. They bonded through scent, packs and flocks. Barn owls are solitary birds but are great when packed with their relatives or among men; often farmers welcome barn owls to reduce the population of rodents that destroy crops and in return, they’d set up homes for them.  
The Duke was very observant; as he paid and transacted with the owner, his gaze were at the corners of his eyes watching the woman fall into a sort of trance; to which again, he found utterly alluring.  
“Ivy.” He paused dramatically. “Her name is Ivy.”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Stomping her foot, Ivy stared dumbfounded at the Duke, outraged. “That’s my name!” She argued. Well done, Ivy, well done. Throwing tantrum worthy of a toddler. High marks all around! Whatever train of thought her brain had been taking her down only moments ago was completely abandoned.  
Stomping back towards the front of the store, Ivy pointed a finger at the great horned owl that had caught her attention. “Put this one on hold for me. I’ll be back tomorrow to get him. I’ll call him David.” The shopkeeper glanced back and forth between the man and woman hesitantly before nodding and disappearing behind the counter, no doubt wanting to steer clear of whatever was happening between the two.  
“Pretty clever, right? Pretty damn clever.” Ivy sneered at her companion, walking back towards him slowly.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
David bit his lip as she began her usual fit of tantrum; her usual fit of which David found incredibly cute and hilarious. It suits her best considering she looks very young, is very young, is quite a cute doll herself and for one who was supposed to hold the belt between him and her, was acting very child – like. He could feel his cheeks sore and his jaw a bit numb from trying to conceal laughing. Despite a valiant effort of doing so, the Duke bursts into a loud fit of laughter that made him crunch and nearly wept. The owlet, baffled by the couple’s exchange did its best to walk to and fro his arm and shoulders to avoid falling.  
Torn between what was going on, the shop keeper nodded in fear, gulped loudly and hurried back to his desk. He tagged the cage in which Ivy, the owlet, came with and noted Ivy’s name, the witch, for the other owl’s reservation.  
David’s laughter subsided as his brow rose to incredible heights. Such waste of name for a vile breed, he thought; why, he wondered. Licking and biting onto his lip, David adjusted himself proper and gave a menacing grin, “Indeed. Quite clever.”  
Though he was used to people naming their children and pets after him and his many personas in his life and career, he couldn’t help but feel differently about Ivy’s chosen pet. For some bizarre reason, he knew he wouldn’t feel offended affected should she had chosen a dog, a cat or even an eagle’s for Christ’s sake.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Ivy got close, very close to David. She smiled warmly at the little owlet still perched on his arm. After all, she was the little thing’s namesake. She would be endearing towards it, despite the jealousy she felt. It was the little baby’s fault, after all.  
David, the rocker, on the other hand, was in for a world of trouble. “You know,” she whispered into the ear opposite the owlet, “I never shy away from a challenge. And you, my dear friend, are going to see just how stubborn I can be.”  
The grin she flashed him was far from menacing. It was promising, calculating. If she was going to play his games then he was going to roll with the punches that came with her participation. Perhaps even literally.  
Linking her arm into his free one, she gave the now nervous shopkeeper one last nod before turning to David. “Well, are we ready then?” Her tone was endearing. If the prior scene hadn’t taken place, one would even call it loving. “We should get Ivy settled in to her new home.”

dukeoftheblackstar:  
Deep within the core of the Duke was someone something of greater heights and rank; he was cunning, manipulative, mischievous and dangerous. Though forgiving, loving, caring and watchful, the King Duke was not to be trifled with. He adored games and had literally lived and breathed it for centuries.  
David’s smile widened but remained silent as he welcomed the challenger’s arm. As he picked the cage up and carried it, the owlet walked cautiously close to David’s cheek in an attempt to support itself considering she had very short talons. “Don’t worry my precious; Daddy’s going to make sure you remember his name.” David mused; Ivy, the owl, screeched.  
The couple had exited the shop, completely forgetting their manner of arrival. They have successfully concealed their presence before the world to avoid publicity and then there they were, walking like proud pure bloods for the world to gawk upon. Flashes came to and fro as the two were bombarded with microphones nearly being shoved against their faces. Shots and sparks from left and right startled poor Ivy, the owlet, as photographers encircled the couple. Frightened, the owlet scurried into David’s collar for shelter, shrieked for dear life.  
In panic, David attempted to tug on his collar which frightened the bird even more so. With its sudden movement of further burrowing itself onto David’s protective clothing, the Ivy’s talon scratched a lengthy mark on David’s shoulder. The man merely hissed as Ivy’s safety is a priority. “C—Co—“ David stuttered as the mark began to burn him pain, “Shhhh, baby… Daddy’s here.” Cooed the Duke, desperately trying to steer away from the crowd.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
“God. Damn.” Ivy muttered the moment the stepped outside the shop and realized their mistake. Cameras flashed in her face, and she closed her eyes to prevent having a seizure. Her arm tightened around David’s in an unconscious attempt at getting security. But his attention was on the owlet.  
“Miss McKenna! How did you land a boyfriend like David Bowie? Are there wedding plans?” One reporter from The Daily Prophet shouted. Her eyes shot open at the question.   
“The nerve of some people.” She growled under her breath. In the midst of the madness, she could make out the form of the most worthless, deplorable body employed by the paper- Rita Skeeter, who was frantically writing down notes with an enchanted quill while watching the scene with a look on her face that practically screamed with excitement and juicy gossip.  
In a quick movement, Ivy twirled to stand in front of David, her arm grasping his elbow. “Envision my living room.” She ordered him, her eyes stern as the held his. It didn’t matter if they apparated away from everyone in the middle of Diagon Alley. Simply walking back to her flat would put them at risk for further intrusion.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
The Thin White Duke trusted no one but himself on and offstage; it was either him or the drugs. In fact, he had a period of storing his own urine in the fridge in fear of wizards taking it (true story). But he knew she was to be trusted. He had been out drug influence and in his sober days, Ivy had proved to be a real life saver.  
The sudden rationale of having to set the poor bird’s condition aside tore David apart; it was eat or be eaten. The crowd would slowly turn into a mob as heads would surely turn with the hustle and bustle going about. In a matter of seconds, a group of young women in uniform had swerved to their direction to mingle in the event. A few more followed.  
David was conflicted and was in literal pain but knowing that the owlet is in his grasp, things would be quite alright. The problem was, he could hardly remember what the living room looked like with everything just caving in on him abruptly. He did his best and though his best did not amount to Ivy’s familiarity with that part of her house, he was able to picture out the room; blurry and somewhat out of proportion.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
The look on David’s face told her that apparating safely would be a long shot for them. But anything was better than being swarmed by reporters and fans. In a situation like that, Ivy wasn’t sure what she would do. And she didn’t want to stick around to find out.  
Her decision made, she grasped his elbow tightly and placed a hand gently on top of the owlet’s head, before willing them back to her flat.  
Once she felt the world stop spinning, she immediately opened her eyes, glad to see that had made it home. She combed over David’s body, checking him for injuries, and next the owl. Thank Merlin they were alright. She, on the other hand, had a small gash on her left shoulder, which by the sudden shooting of pain that ripped through her also signaled that the joint was out of place.  
“Fuck a duck!” She groaned, clutching at the wound as she stumbled into the kitchen. She had a cabinet above the stove where she kept medicines and tonics. And since this wasn’t her first injury from apparating, she also kept a small vial of dittany to for healing wounds.  
Marlowe, ever aware, came bounding down the stairs and into the kitchen once he heard his humans had returned. His attention was torn between the presence of the strange owlet and his injured owner.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
Silence followed a nauseating feeling and soon after, David found himself back in Ivy’s residence. He wobbled to gain footing and thankfully did so. David’s hand flung immediately to cup his shoulder and felt the wet crimson stain his shirt. He hissed as his thumb grazed the open wound but heaved a sigh of relief as the rest of his fingers felt a rise in the sheathed owlet’s bodice.  
Just as he was about to soothe the frightened bird, David’s senses gushed as Ivy, the witch, screamed agonizingly. She clutched firmly on the injured shoulder and judging from it looked, it appeared slightly dislocated. David hurried towards the woman who rummaged through the cupboards. As far as the Duke knew, he may possess certain powers of conjuration and the ability to understand other life forms, he wasn’t about to test on an injured witch if he had the power to heal; or to anyone for that matter. Familiar with what the human body limits itself in terms of movement, with him taking up Mime class in his early years, he had but one option left.  
With his left, the Duke yanked Ivy by the uninjured arm firmly against him. Chest to chest they stood as David’s free hand grabbed the injured side by the elbow. Knowing Ivy would’ve yelled, thrown a fit or even cussed at him, he did what any man in his mind and experience would have done.  
Lips crashed in dominance as he swiftly moved the same right arm around her shoulder. He pulled her close, hard against him. With his right palm nested against the injured elbow, he violently pushed her elbow upward with his left and kept a strong grip with his right; thus, forcing the joint into place. It was the kind of kiss where lips fought and bodies quaked at the impact and of course, the pain of having to force a joint back into place…. Unorthodoxly.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Using one hand while standing on her tiptoes to rummage through the cabinet wasn’t getting her anywhere quickly. Dammit, where was that vial?  
A swear wasn’t far from her lips when in a sudden motion, David had taken her into his arms and crushed his chest against hers- in the next, it was his lips. She was briefly, momentarily allowed to recover from the unexpected action when realization hit her of what he was doing.  
Ivy screamed against his lips, pressing back against them with the same force as hot tears streamed down her face. Sure, she’d had to put fingers and toes back into place, but never a joint as major as a shoulder. Merlin, did it hurt. it hurt more than anything she’d ever experienced.  
Sobs wracked her body and she shook in pain and alarm. She had never been kissed like that, especially not for the reason he did it. She didn’t move away from him, the pain and shock leaving her frozen in place. Instead she sobbed into his chest, closing her eyes tightly in an attempt to block out the pain that was slowly beginning to alleviate.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
He knew it would be elicit an excruciating response; excruciating in a sense that he felt guilty of how he had tended to aid with the situation at hand and at the same time, horrible for having her go through such agonizing experience. A part of him grew saddened at the thought that there might have been an easier process of doing so that Ivy would’ve executed herself. All David knew was that it had to be done.  
He held her fragile form and cradled her lovingly. With the sudden series of intense, unfortunate events, David had forgotten about the cut Ivy, the owlet, had done. Reaching for the owlet that peered apologetically, to his eyes, David merely smiled and leaned close to the table in an attempt to have the bird hop off his shoulder. But seeing as Marlowe had a fixated gaze on his prized baby, David backed away as the owlet burrowed itself into his other shoulder area where blood nor cut was neither present.  
Ever careful, he leaned to his side and picked the weeping woman in his arms and marched upstairs to her quarters.


	8. Chapter 8

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Marlowe was quick to follow on their heels, his attention being divided still between the owlet and his human. The very look on his face showed his concern- he had never seen her like this, and was right at her side when David placed her on her bed.  
Her sobs had subsided some, although she continued to tremble. “I-I could have done it,” she announced stubbornly, wiping tears away with the hand of her non-injured arm, “I could have…I dunno, kept throwing myself against the wall until it went back into place.” She sighed defeatedly, her eyes red and swollen from crying.  
The concerned black cat at her side began to lick the blood from her left shoulder, the wound being not nearly as deep ash she had originally thought. She shoved him away from it so that he would stop, before pulling into her lap.  
“Thank you.” The gratitude was, like her voice, quiet. But nonetheless it was there. She was so used to treating her own injuries, but this one had been the most unbearable. She doubted she would have remained conscious for long, if it weren’t for him. “Are you alright?”

dukeoftheblackstar:  
“No. No, I’m not.” David remained silent as he carried on. Frankly, it annoyed him that he felt inadequate to at least pay for all the goodness she had done. But no, he had to force himself to fix a broken arm like its some toy that can be yanked back into its bolt. He hadn’t any form of training but he knew it would be the best solution at the time. Medicines and temporary fix may cause her greater pain, prolonged and even made worse. It was only now that he had realized she was the witch and he was not. He merely was a man who popped up crystals and frilly dresses.  
He gestured a smile but in reality, he was heartbroken. That was his greatest weakness; sobriety. Sobriety that would take form from any open crevice of opportunity; the yearning father, the lost friend, and now, the inflictor of pain. He hated seeing her in that state; more so that he caused it.  
He mustered a cloth from a wandering crystal that sloppily slid off his sleeve and placed it over the gash on his neck. It wasn’t deep or anything life threatening; it was painful yes, but manageable. Of course, the culprit was easily apprehended; selflessly surrendering herself to David’s free shoulder, gazing with its wide eyes.  
“I think you might have to return the favor.” It was a joke yes, but a joke he meant to console their relationship.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
There was no humor to be found in his voice, even if he had meant for there to be. She felt the tears start again in her eyes, this time not caused by the pain. The throbbing in her shoulder was slowly turning into a dull ache, and she had David’s quick thinking to thank for that. The longer she had kept the shoulder out of place, the more useless to her it would become. His quick thinking had saved her, in more ways than one.  
His voice broke her, because it sounded as broken as she had just felt. She recognized the look on his face. He was feeling worthless, helpeless. And if she wouldn’t tolerate that for herself, then she certainly wasn’t going to accept it coming from him.  
Wincing slightly, she leaned forward from her place on the bed. Her eyes met David’s briefly, not asking for permission for what she was about to do. She could feel three pairs of eyes on her- David’s, the owlet’s, and Marlowe’s but she ignored them as she inched closer to David.  
Her eyes then focused on the gash on his neck, as she removed his hand and the crystal in it. Slowly and gently, she brought her lips to the wound in a lingering, careful kiss.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
That would have been the sweetest gesture David had ever witnessed and experienced in his entire life. It was that of a mother’s loving kiss to an injured child; or a kiss of whose misery was at par with his that clearly shows a bond known only to them. It was that of a kiss that broke hearts wandering and wishing whether it was hello or goodbye. It was that of a kiss that melted hearts of stone and mended hearts beaten.  
There was so much to be done that this was not of time. There were answers to be sought, families to return to and a career to flourish; he had his music career and she has hers. He had a son to return to and Ivy had her duties. That was the Duke; a man devoid of emotion who sang songs that broke and mended souls lost in the abysmal bowels of love, and that what he should be.  
His eyes however, told no lie; he wanted this, needed it. Senses lulled into an attempt to once more press himself upon her succulent lips, but he did not; he would not.  
“Missed. You had your chance, young lady.” And back to his comic relief, he pulled back and winked. He then found himself cozy on the chair Ivy once slept on watching over him. It seems the tables had indeed turned. 

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
“Well, to Hell with you too, jackass.” She sputtered in frustration. Had she known this was all part of one of his stupid games, she may have upped her own a little more. Spurned was the best she could describe herself in that moment. Spurned because maybe if she focused on how much it angered her that he had moved away at the last second, she could ignore the feeling of her stomach plummeting. All she had tried to do was comfort him, to dull his pain the way he had violently and unremorsefully done for her.  
Was she so deplorable that he needed to put the distance between them? Her teeth clenched in her mouth. You’re a little fool is what you are, her brain told her. Yes, her brain. Because her brain knew her best, no matter what the old songs and fairytales say. She’d had a momentary lapse in character and in judgement. It was absurd notion that someone could feel anything even remotely sentimental for that only came into their world just the day before.  
If looks could kill, David would have already been assuming room temperature. She suddenly despised the effect he’d had on her just then, and even more so hated herself for wanting to waltz right over to him and pull his lips to hers whether he was disgusted or not. Just so she could prove to herself that these feelings didn’t exist and that nothing was out of order.  
Instead, with a huff she flipped over so that her back was to him, not caring that she was now laying on her injured arm. Biting her lips, she kept from crying out at the ache the sudden movement had caused, but eventually she settled. The exhaustion caused by the last several minutes overcame her, and soon she was none the wiser to the world. If she were lucky, this whole thing would be wiped clean from her memory when she woke.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
Over the years, he had his way with men and women and was self – acclaimed, proud bisexual. Though rumors had been circulating of his true sexuality, he never more commented on the subject. His marriage with Angie had done him both good but more of the bad. Their married life had become nothing more than show to keep the ball rolling; to kill rumors, to get deals. He was a selfish man and selfishness was what he needed to continue moving forward. It was killed or be killed; and as an ambitious artist and a father, he did what was needed. He was at the top of his game and nothing would stop him.  
Misunderstood once again, David shook his head in anger and stood up; purposely making a sound as he did so. He then conjured a crystal which had taken a form of a rose. Looking past his shoulder as he twisted the knob, Ivy, the owlet, screeched audible as peered through his collar. In that moment, David’s frustration withered and allowed the owlet to pluck a single petal from the rose.  
“Daddy’s off for a walk darling, behave yourself.” To whom it was directed to would be to one’s perception. David threw the rose onto the bed and left the door slightly open should Marlowe decide to leave the room.  
Downstairs, David had locked Ivy, the owl, inside her merry cage and hung her by the open window. Briefly sitting to coo at his baby, David slid through the window and vanished for the evening.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
The witch woke several hours later, now with both an aching shoulder and a pounding headache. Her bedroom was dark, the sun now having completely set and the night being in full swing. The moon in full peaking through her window. Of course it was a full moon out, as Ivy decided this would be her excuse for acting as she had hours earlier. Neither Marlowe nor David were still in her room, but she could hear shrill screeches coming from the downstairs.  
Groaning, she got up from her bed. When she noticed a single rose laying at the foot. Examining it, she found herself struggling between keeping it or tearing it to pieces. But it was such a perfectly shaped specimen that she decided on the former- despite whom it obviously had been gifted from.  
The screeching grew louder as she emerged downstairs in the kitchen, where she found Marlowe trying to shove his latest catch into the owlet’s cage. Ivy couldn’t help but smirk as she moved to unlatch the cage and let the owlet out after closing the open kitchen window. The owlet hooted with approval before swooping out of its cage, scooping up the dead mouse the feline had offered her, and taking her perch on top of the fridge. “Well done.” The witch congratulated her cat with a head scratch.  
David was nowhere in sight, leading Ivy to believe that not only had he given her the slip but had also left her with the care of the owlet. If that’s the case, Baby Girl is getting a name change. She was determined to ignore the aching feeling that was also beginning to grow in her stomach, only adding to her current pains. Tea would be a good idea. The rose was placed on the countertop, where she hoped to forget about it and let it wilt. The correct thing to do would have been to put it in water, but a bitter Ivy isn’t a fair one.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
As much as Ivy, the owl, appreciated the gesture of her new roommate, bared fangs and pointy claws at such close proximity brought her into fit of terrified screeching. Thankfully, Mommy, as Daddy David explained a few hours ago upon their descending to where her cage hangs, arrived to the rescue. Orbs as dark as her talons stared curiously as the lock clicked and the tiny door swung open. Frightful of the bigger creature that was momentarily against her safety confinement, the owlet hopped off the ledge of the door and onto the nearby shelf.  
Her head twisted as Ivy moved. To the human eye, she may either be following the woman’s movements, the cat’s intention or the familiar item the witch held.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Marlowe jumped on the countertop as Ivy prepared her tea, his eyes seeming to search her body for any sign of her previous injuries. The gash on her shoulder was still there, still needing to be cleaned anther clothes needing to be changed. But beyond the decreasing amount of pain it was causing and her other bodily aches, she was in one piece.  
Your heart aches too, a little.  
“The Hell it does.” The redhead murmured back to herself. She brought the fresh mug of tea to her lips as she turned to the owlet perched on top of her fridge. “Sorry, sweetie. Looks like your daddy ran out on you. It’s okay though. Maybe you’ll en dup lucky like me and not have any daddy issues at all.” The bird shrieked in horror, causing Ivy to choke on her sip of tea. “Sorry. That was a bit harsh.” She then apologized.  
A few more moments passed of her staring down into her tea, the owlet staring at her, and Marlowe staring at the owlet. With a soft sigh, one of what would be several that day, she determined to go upstairs and run a bath. Cleaning her wound was the priority at the moment. Contemplating David’s whereabouts should be the furthest from her mind.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
The bird screeched at her remark, angrily and defensive at that. Her head bobbed to and fro and did her utmost best to flap her still flightless wings. The bird hopped, paced and screeched and began clawing onto the surface of the fridge with an intent glare at Ivy.  
A few minutes later, not to many, a larger barn owl began violently flapping and tapping against the kitchen window. As the light behind the figure shone bright and proud, it appears to be carrying a small rabbit; no doubt dead as it’s claws pierced the still furry body. It screeched, much like how Ivy, the owl did, but louder in volume. As if frustrated, the larger owl turned and flew off in a distance.  
Coincidentally, David entered through the front door in a fetchingly annoyed mood and a small paper bag in hand. Though startled at how early Ivy had risen, he remained quiet and approached the empty cage.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Marlowe was now in a frenzy. Having been perfectly frightened by the owlet’s screech, the larger owl appearing at the window and trying its damnedest to get in sent him flying up the stairs, running between Ivy’s legs as he ran. The witch stumbled, unable to catch her footing as she tumbled down the steps she had just mounted. Luckily, it was only a few. “Marlowe!” She scolded, wincing as she had caught herself with her bad arm. The cat in question had by then tucked himself safely under his human’s bed.  
Deciding to see what all the fuss had been about, she made her way back into the kitchen to check on the owlet when she caught sight of David by the cage. “Oh.” So that had been what all the fuss was about.  
The owlet was still screeching from on top of the fridge, the shrillness seemingly directed at Ivy. The witch gaped at the bird- if current circumstances weren’t what they were, she no doubt would have been laughing at it.   
It made her question even more if she was really going to bring the owl home from the shop that she had put on hold. Mostly it had just been to keep up with David, to stay on his level, but if she was going to have to listen to that all the time…”You had to choose a vocal one.”

dukeoftheblackstar:  
“You’re to talk.” The Duke was definitely in a foul mood as he threw the packed item onto the table carelessly. Approaching the owlet who seem to be extremely pleased at his arrival that it began flapping it’s flightless baby wings, he reached for her and took him into his arms. Whatever it was that had set him in a disgruntled mood at such an early hour remained a mystery. Wincing as the bird walked along his palm and climb up to his shoulder.  
He busied himself with unpacking the item that was heavily wrapped on the table; meat, no doubt. Not once since he came in did he look Ivy in the eyes nor turned to face her.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
For a full five minutes Ivy stood in the kitchen, watching David move about and care for the owlet. But not once did it cross her mind to simply throw him out. Not once did it come to her consideration that this was her flat, and he was only someone she had met two days prior. Those never struck her fancy as options, or even remotely entered into her brain.  
“Okay then.” Ivy broke the silence, taking out her simply silver hoops from her earlobes as she spoke. Next she slipped out of her top shirt, wincing all the while, leaving her in only a tank top. She ignored the pain from the gash- that was once again going to have to wait. “I have no idea where you get off thinking you have a reason to be in a piss-poor mood, but we’re going to fix that.”  
It dawned on her that her intent could be totally misconstrued. “Don’t men fight each other when they get pissy? That’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to have it out, right here. So you may wanna put the owlet down.”

dukeoftheblackstar:  
He had his share of fights and one in particular had caused him the both good and bad luck with a set of mismatched eyes. It was fight between his childhood friend George Underwood over a girl they both adored. Right in the eye, George’s ring shot fiercely. He already has one good eye left and the trouble of keeping it unharmed from fans throwing affection on stage was already difficult enough. Unless you haven’t noticed, I am not like most men, he thought in silence, unpacking the item on the desk.  
It was indeed meat; clean cuts of diced rabbit meat. He ignored her and though he knew that she had power over him and his fate in the wizarding world, he also was aware that Ivy wouldn’t casually throw him off considering it was a part of her job to ensure safety and boy, can he start a riot.  
He shot her a glare and steadied himself as Ivy, the owl, crawled down his shoulder and examined the meat. As she did so, it tugged on David’s collar, thus revealing the blood stained area and the gash by his neck. Talk about a fair handicapped match.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Her foot stamped repeatedly against the floor, waiting for him to turn around; to give any indicator that he was paying attention to her. But no. His entire focus was on the baby owl. He was so damn concerned about that baby owl.  
The site of the gash on his neck, only just noticed by her, made her gasp quietly, but she recovered herself quickly. She was going to make herself not care, just as easily as he was being so uncaring towards her.  
As a last resort to get his attention, she drew her wand out of the sleeve of her discarded shirt, and in one fluid moment had it pressed against his temple. The willow wood began to hum in her hand, acknowledging its wielder. “Maybe I could save us both the energy, and simply erase every memory you have from the last two days. Leave you back on the platform. It’ll be like none of this ever happened, and to you, I’ll have never existed.”   
It wasn’t an empty threat. She could perform that sort of magic, as she often did with some of the worst of criminals. It was a tempting notion.


	9. Chapter 9

dukeoftheblackstar:  
Silence fell between the two as the Duke’s head felt the unrelenting weapon upon him. A rather painful tug right along his torso made him gesture to the concerned owlet. He quietly placed his index finger over his lips with a smile. As if the owl had understood him, she stared at the couple briefly before indulging herself with breakfast.  
“If you’re expecting me to plead, I would not.” Came a firm response as he picked tiny chunks of meat and dangled them atop the feeding baby. His voice neither shook nor faltered but it was soft in its own accord. It was sad, annoyed, furious, vengeful, and disappointed. He was a man of pride; humble but proud of what he had accomplished, what he is capable of doing, and what he is.  
“Is that good, my baby?” David cooed at the bird that screeched in response. “Mommy doesn’t know why Daddy’s upset, now doe she? No, she doesn’t.” Using his free hand, he stroked the bird’s head which elicited a pleased shudder from her miniscule body before she continued eating. “Mommy doesn’t know that she’s supposed to feed you when Daddy’s way, but nooooo… Mommy would rather argue and pick a fight with Daddy, now wouldn’t she?”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Mommy? Since when? This was certainly news to her. David had bought the bird for himself, as he had intended to. Raging, Ivy wanted to shout that she wasn’t the damn bird’s mother, but she bit her lip to keep herself quiet, not caring that she drew blood.  
“Your bird. Not mine.” The witch gave his head a rough nudge with the wand before turning on her heel. Using her wand, she scooped up her discarded shirt from the floor before turning back to him. “I’m done playing. Your games hurt too much.”  
No other words were spoken by the witch as she departed the kitchen and the downstairs, locking herself in the bathroom. She refused to cry. Crying wouldn’t solve anything. And neither would have fighting him, but damn, maybe she would have felt better afterwards.  
She turned the water on and adjusted it for a warm bath and then stripped the rest of her clothes off, grimacing and groaning when exerting the still healing shoulder. To Hell with David, she thought. You have yourself to worry about. As if she needed any reminding. Her shoulder was beginning to ache horribly again.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
[[You’re losing your head over a girl? What a pity.]] And there it was again, the familiar, haunting voice that troubled him for several nights. It was menacing, scheming, vengeful and unrelentingly dark. It wanted out and the Duke could feel his presence growing stronger in lieu of his weakening state. David was getting dead tired with lack of sleep and the constant fatigue that plagued him. Nights he would end up vomiting whatever he ate or drank, or spend hours fighting the urge to stay awake. It wasn’t the drugs, that he knew for a fact; it was something else that was killing him; a form of conflict whether to give in or fight.  
David has his demons and adding one that spoke was something of a fright. It changed him; whether in a good or bad way, he was uncertain. He felt free; a feeling of being fearless to do as he pleases, to have power, to be capable of. Yet, he felt trapped; restrained, concealed, sheathed by only a portion of true existence, incomplete.  
The voice had subsided and with that, a crystal popped out from his sleeve. The burning sensation of the pendant that lay hidden inside his pocket grew that he had to place it on the table. Paying no mind to the necklace, Ivy had finished her meal. To David’s delight, he rubbed his nose against her furry body and idly toyed with the wandering crystal. “Your wings are starting to grow, my baby.” Smiled the sad Duke, “And soon, you will soar the skies and find home. Our home.”  
David stepped out and conjured a crystal which later formed into a wooden chair. Setting it by the porch of her house, he sat and dozed off with the owl, tucked inside his shirt.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
The gash on her shoulder was deeper than she had originally assessed, but she’d be damned if she was going in anywhere for stitches. She dabbed a cloth into the warm bath water and brought it to the wound, gritting her teeth together she she scraped off the dried blood. Gods did it hurt.  
A soft pawing noise was at the door, and Ivy unlocked it, opening it enough to let her feline companion in. Marlowe pranced in, with Ivy’s small emerald green satchel in tow. “You brilliant little boy.” She beamed down at him through the pain.  
In her anguish, she had forgotten all about the satchel and the healing ingredients inside before storming upstairs. But luckily, her cat had been paying attention. She summoned the vial of dittany from within, the extra vial that she kept on hand and took with her on cases. It never hurt to be overly prepared. She dumped some of the clear liquid straight onto the wound, sighing loudly as it did its work. She sunk down into the tub, the combination of warm water and healing sensation bringing her a brief moment of bliss. The best she had felt in days.  
Marlowe settled onto the bath rug next to the tub, purring loudly in pride. Ivy took the time to quiet her mind and meditate, drifting in and out of sleep as she did.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
Minutes turned to hours and hours to night. The Duke woke to Ivy’s movements as she tried to claw her way up his shirt and break free. David gazed down to see a struggling owl, a tattered shirt, and itty bitty spots of blood on his once pristine shirt. Unbuttoning his shirt to grant the bird an easier exit, Ivy screeched and hopped onto his lap, flapping mirthfully. Beautiful night skies excited the youngling and so it did David. As his mind drifted into the wonderful stillness of solitude, it had occurred to him that he hasn’t bathed for the day nor changed had he changed clothes. Today had been an eventful charade that time simply ran through the window.  
Entering the house once more, he added a stack of hay inside Ivy’s cage and refilled her food and water bins. Ensuring she was high enough from stray cats or Marlowe, an overprotective father indeed, he locked the door and bid the bird a kiss goodnight.  
Thinking Ivy would have gone off to bed, he headed towards the bathroom to freshen up. Upon entering, he saw Marlowe napping soundly and a sleeping witch inside the tub. Very carefully and silently, David lifted the bathroom plug lightly to empty its water content and plugged it back in. Lifting her to bed would cause yet another riot, or worse; an actual fight.  
Using his crystals, he conjured thick sets of blankets and covered the naked woman. Bath would have to be rescheduled tomorrow morning it seems. Exhausted, he sat on the floor, back against the wall and kept watch until his eyes had finally grown heavier.

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
Ivy was startled awake at some point by a voice. A voice she had never heard before, and it had her on alert. Sitting straight up in the tub, her eyes darted all over her bathroom, but the only other person with her was David, who was sunken down against the wall next to her.  
That was menacing, she shivered, recalling what she had heard. What she couldn’t recall was what exactly it had said to her- whatever it had been, it had chilled her entire core. Her experiences with ghosts had been plentiful, but nothing had ever left her feeling so frightened. It was if the person had spoken right into her ear. She could still feel a presence sneering at her.  
Standing from the tub, she wrapped one of the blankets around her. David was obviously the one to thank for them. She could have gone to her room and curled up in her bed, but more than anything at that moment, she wanted to be assured that David was with her. Taking a place next to him against the wall, she wrapped the other blankets he had placed over her on top of them both, carefully resting her head on his shoulder so not to wake him. Her eyes remained open and alert as she listened to every noise the old townhouse made.

dukeoftheblackstar:  
[[“Now was that too hard, puppet?”]] Uncertainty woke the Thin White Duke; was it the audible voice that found comfort in audibly provoking the couple, or was it Ivy’s sudden shift of position by his side? Whichever it was, it was neither upsetting nor helpful. His presence has become imbrications on the Duke’s daily life and now it gradually is seeping through his companion. He feared of what may entail.  
David formed a distance between himself and Ivy, only to undo his coat and cover her shoulders with it. “My turn.” Was his only response. Gaining footing and pulling out the pendant from his pocket, he stared down at the necklace and back to Ivy. Without hesitation, the Duke threw the necklace onto the empty tub with a loud clank. Lowering himself once more only to pick up the woman wrapped in sheets, he held her in his arms in a carry and headed towards the bedroom. “Can’t hog the lavatory to yourself now, can you?”

willowwithdragonheartstring:  
The trinket. Ivy had nearly forgotten about it, but now it was becoming evident to her that this was one piece to be wary of. She saw as David’s gaze darkened briefly as he studied it, most likely just remembering it himself as he drew it forth from his jacket pocket. She reminded herself that she could not touch it. But that wouldn’t prevent her from checking it for curses. She swore internally for not having taken it more seriously before.  
“I can walk, you know.” Not as if she minded David carrying her. Her mind, despite having been frightened out of her wits by the disembodied voice, was still in a lull from her bath time meditation. “I didn’t mean to hog the bathroom,” she apologized sheepishly, “I was only taking care of my shoulder.”  
It was then that she noticed the gashes and scratches adorning David’s person as he laid her gently on her bed, still wrapped in the thick blankets. A hand reached out to touch them, but she drew back suddenly, reminded of what happened the last time she had made a similar gesture. “You’re hurt.”

\- End -


End file.
